


Teach Me, Senpai

by Shadow15



Category: Katekyou Hitman Reborn!
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-01
Updated: 2016-12-01
Packaged: 2018-09-03 13:06:50
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 21
Words: 58,079
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8715142
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shadow15/pseuds/Shadow15
Summary: The first thing Fran had learnt in his short life was that people couldn't be trusted. However, after arriving at the Varia House for Orphans, he soon meets Bel, the resident psycho who seems to have it out for him. B26, yaoi.





	1. Chapter 1

**EDIT; This story is currently being re-written to a far higher standard as I am unhappy with the quality of it originally.**

Tsunayoshi Sawada was barely nineteen years old when he had come to work at the Varia House for Orphans; an orphanage where strays with problems were sent once everyone else decided they didn’t want to deal with their troubles any longer.  Some of the children had simple behavioural issues that were easily managed, yet previous ‘carers’ hadn’t wanted to deal with, while others had mental illnesses or childhood trauma that truly debilitated them and made things extremely difficult for both the sufferer and their legal guardians. 

Even so, the brunet couldn’t say he didn’t enjoy working there, even if he were sometimes uncomfortable with the situations he was put in.

Lambo Bovino was the newest addition, a five-year-old boy who had an overactive imagination and too much energy for his small body to handle.  His messy black hair was untamed, tangled and sticking out all over the place, and it didn’t help with the fact that Lambo had a habit of putting things into his hair – especially lollipops and other sweets.

Tsuna wasn’t too sure why Lambo was an orphan; only that he had been transferred here because his energy reserves were too much to handle back at the previous orphanage.  While it was true the boy often tired him out, Tsuna enjoyed the entertainment the little cow baby brought to his life and couldn’t understand how someone could give up on such a young child – no, scratch that; how _any_ of the kids here had been given up on, because they sure weren’t easy to handle at times, but every one of them was deserving of love and care.

“Loser Tsuna, Loser Tsuna!” Aforementioned child was now running through the house, and his mischievous nature was clear as day.  Tsuna frowned as he chased after Lambo in an attempt to retrieve the hairbrush the kid had stolen from him; he should have known the younger was up to something when Lambo hadn’t protested against having his hair brushed.  “Catch me if you can, Loser Tsuna!”

“Oi, Lambo!” The young man stumbled as he ran through the hall after the younger.  He knew that the boy was only playing, but he still hoped Lambo would relent in his game; he needed to get back to the dining room and make sure everyone was okay since he had been the one left in charge of the orphans for the morning, and it was around this time where fights usually broke out amongst the kids.  “Lambo, wait up!”

Tsuna didn’t get very far through the upstairs corridor before a door off to the side opened and a large hand reached out and grabbed him by the cuff of his jacket’s collar.  He was pulled to a rough standstill as an intimidating aura filled the room, and he looked up with wide eyes; he was almost certain he was about to be killed by the owner of the orphanage, a man named Xanxus who liked alcohol a little too much and often had violent fits of rage at his staff members. 

Despite his aggressive nature, Xanxus was usually good with the orphans, tolerant of them to varying degrees.  He generally made it a point to stay in his office and let his subordinates deal with the children; he liked to avoid getting angry with the youngest ones as much as possible, finding adults much more enjoyable in conflicting with.

Sawada gulped as the hand on his jacket finally let go.  He was almost too afraid to speak; while he usually got along with his co-workers, Xanxus was someone who always made him nervous.  He didn’t like to fight with the battle-scarred man, but sometimes it was unavoidable; Xanxus always became irate over the littlest things. 

“Get in here,” Xanxus’ gruff voice growled as he opened the door wider so that he could introduce the smaller male to his darkened office.  “We have a new kid.”

Tsuna blinked before he nodded in understanding.  He entered the office quickly; he knew better than to anger Xanxus of all people.  When the door was closed behind him, he looked around at his surroundings and found what appeared to be a small child sitting by the desk with their back to the older males.  He couldn’t be entirely sure of the other’s gender as all he could see was dirty teal locks, but he felt confident in his assumption of the child being male; he could _feel_ it.  The brunet smiled aas he approached the child, wondering what this one’s story was; he could only hope it wasn’t as bad as some of the other kids they had taken on board over the years.

The brunet knelt beside the desk and put on his most welcoming expression as he got a good look at the other’s face; it _was_ a little boy, and his emerald orbs looked lifeless.  There was no emotion on the younger’s face, and it was then Tsuna realised that they had, once again, taken in another damaged child.  “Hello.  What’s your name?”

The boy didn’t answer, but he locked gaze with Tsuna’s eyes.  He profiled the male in front of him, taking in everything about the brunet he could see so that he could form his own judgement on the other.  So far, he wasn’t sure what to make of the brunet, but he didn’t trust that smile; he didn’t trust _anyone_.   

Xanxus stepped behind Tsuna and answered for the boy.  “His name is Fran.  He’s quiet most of the time.  Just a youngling; he’s almost ten.”

The boy – Fran – still did not speak.  His eyes lingered on Tsuna as if he were wary of the other’s intentions.  He didn’t recoil when the brunet reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder despite the fact he didn’t care much for physical contact; he simply continued to stare.

“Everyone else is having breakfast,” the brown-haired male explained.  Fran wasn’t sure of his name, and it only made him more reserved; how did the others expect him to listen to them when he didn’t even know their names?  “Would you like to join them?”

Fran didn’t feel hungry.  In fact, he didn’t feel anything.  For as long as he could remember, he had always felt numb, void of any emotion and uncaring of the world around him.  “…”

Tsuna couldn't help but smile sadly, knowing that this child would be one of the more difficult ones to care for; he had been around such damaged kids for so long, he knew a broken soul when he saw one.  He spoke in a gentle tone.  “Come on; let’s go meet the others.”

Fran stood up when Tsuna pulled him to his feet.  He followed the brunet through the halls, but he was always careful to keep distance between them; he didn’t want to be around anyone and only wanted to be left alone.

The building he was in seemed small, and a little run-down.  Some of the walls were missing plaster and a few of the floorboards were broken. Not much light shone through the windows as they were mostly caked in grime, and one of them was even broken and another had cardboard over it.  The dust was almost suffocating for him, but even so, it still wasn’t the dirtiest house he had been in; he had come out of something unbelievably filthy and this was a spotless home compared to _that_.

At the end of the corridor, Fran was led downstairs and next directed into a larger room that he knew to be a dining room; there was a dining table pushed into the middle of the room, with a food preparation area barely bigger than a walk-in closet off to the side.  The boy could see several other people situated around the rectangular table, and they all looked much older than him.  He inwardly sighed; the older someone was, the more they didn’t like him, he had learnt. 

Tsuna’s hands remained on the boy’s shoulders as he guided the younger over to the table.  He seated their newest charge next to a grey-haired teenager, hoping the boy would get along with everyone; it would be a shame to have another antisocial child on their hands – there was enough of that here as it was already.

“Everyone, this is Fran.  He’s new, so make him feel welcome.”

Fran glanced down at his lap.  He felt uncomfortable with the silence that had filled the room since being introduced, and the several sets of eyes that were on him and picking him apart and silently _judging_ him weren’t helping. It wasn’t until they had stared for what felt like an eternity did the penetrating stares finally wander elsewhere and allow Fran to relax the slightest bit; he didn't like attention on him at all, and having so many people stare at him like that agitated him.

The teal-haired orphan looked up when the sounds of spoons scraping against bowels finally sounded again.  He noticed only four other people around him; the grey-haired male he had been placed beside, and two older-looking children with blue hair that spiked towards the back.  There was a girl and a boy in that duo, and Tsuna sat next to them, crunching away at his cereal as he kept an observant eye on the others.

“Has anyone seen Bel today?” Tsuna smiled when the attention was fixed onto him next; he didn’t like it when everyone was being so quiet because he knew it meant the kids were having problems again.

“He is in the shower. I passed him on my way downstairs.” The blue haired male was soft spoken, even more so than usual.  Tsuna knew that he was very troubled this morning.

“Are you feeling okay, Mukuro?” Tsuna wanted to help if he could; he hated knowing that the kids were upset.

“Oh, I am okay, Tsunayoshi. I am just thinking.”

Tsuna was never one to prey into other peoples’ business, so he instead said, “Well, I’m glad we aren’t going to have to try and find Bel today; I don’t think I’m really in the mood for it.”

The blue-haired male hummed in response.  He twirled his spoon around for a few seconds before he went back to eating.  He knew what Tsuna was saying; whenever their usual runaway went missing, it was always a challenge to find him again because the orphan in question didn’t want to be found, and he tended to always get what he wanted.    

Fran, who had been listening silently to the conversation, sighed.  He shoved his bowl away from him as he couldn’t seem to find his appetite – but that wasn’t unusual; eating always had been a difficult task for him.  He sat where he was and listened to the others talk quietly amongst themselves, but he never joined in; he didn’t _want_ to talk to anyone of them,a and all he wanted was to be able to find somewhere he could be by himself. 

Fran knew that he wasn’t going to like it here – not one bit. 


	2. Chapter 2

It hadn’t been long after breakfast had Fran found a good hiding spot away from everyone else.  He had tucked himself into a corner of what he thought to be the living room, hidden away by the wall and the side of the couch where surely no one would think to look for him.  No one else had come into the living room since he had been there, so it was peaceful for him; he hadn’t needed to be around anyone, and he could just sit there and think for as long as he needed to.

The little TV perched on a stand in the opposite corner had been left on ever since Fran had been there, but even so, he didn’t pay any attention to the TV; he instead let the sound it produced wash over him as background noise that wasn’t entirely unwelcome.  He was thinking about who else could live in this house; hee had only seen the three he had been at the dining table with, but every other orphanage he had been to had an abundance of kids and staff.  Should this one be any different?

The sunlight that had been filtering through the curtained windows disappeared after an undetermined amount of time and soon the only source of light came from the illumination of the TV.  It was getting cold in the room, but Fran didn’t care; he didn’t want to move from where he was - he was quite content in his corner.

Fran must have stayed where he was for years by now.  He was tired, and as hard as he was trying to keep his eyes open, it soon became too hard; just when heavy eyelids slid closed, the sound of the living room door opening startled him back into reality.

The teal-eyed male glanced at the doorway.  He found a messy-haired blond with a tiara tilted to the side grinning at him with a smirk that honestly made Fran feel uncomfortable; it reminded him greatly of the people from his past, and if there was one person he wouldn't trust in this house, it was this blond.

“Shishishishi~"

Fran blinked at the other. "..."

“So you’re the new peasant?  Xanxus told the prince to find you and tell you it’s time for dinner.” The other's voice was soft, but Fran was certain it was deceiving; there was just something about the other that betrayed his silky tone.

Fran spoke his first words in days at that moment.  His tone was thick with sarcasm as he stared blankly at the taller boy.  “Don’t you mean _fake_ prince?”

Though the self-proclaimed prince’s eyes were hidden behind unruly locks of blond, the smirk was quickly wiped from his face as he took a step forward and reached into his pocket to withdraw a small, oddly shaped knife.

Fran stared at the object in his elder’s hand.  He couldn't find it in himself to be scared; he just felt as numb as ever.  “You shouldn’t run with knives.  You might hurt yourself.”

The blond’s mouth twisted into a frown as he spoke, slowly and carefully. "The only one who’ll get hurt is _you_.”

Emerald eyes blinked at the blond a few times before Fran spoke again.  “Am I supposed to be scared?”

“Kaching…” The blond’s anger had risen enough for him to raise his hand, fully intent on pushing the knife as deep as possible into the teal-haired kid.  He took a few steps towards the smaller male, unable to stop himself from advancing; he was already in a bad mood, and this little brat was only making him angrier.  “I should –“ 

“- Oh, there you are, Fran.”

The two kids stopped and looked up at the unexpected voice.  Tsuna was standing behind the blond in the doorway, and his brown eyes were focused on Fran.  A soft smile adorned his face as he stepped past the blond. 

“Dinner’s ready,” Tsuna explained as he reached out to take Fran’s hand.  “We sent Bel to find you but he took so long, we thought you were hiding from us all.”

The blond boy still standing in the doorway quickly sheathed his knife back in his pocket, almost as if he knew the repercussions of having it out.  He watched as Tsuna grabbed the smallest male’s hand and pulled the expressionless child to his feet, and he scowled; why was _that_ little brat getting all of the attention already?  What about _him?  He_ had been here the longest, and _he_ deserved all of the attention!  But instead, all he ever got was hate.  It wasn’t _fair_ , and he _hated_ it. 

The worker turned around to face the blond, and he couldn't help but soften his demeanour as he saw the pain on the younger’s face hidden almost completely behind anger and imperceptible to all but the most well-trained of eyes; he knew how the blond was sensitive about feeling as if he just weren’t good enough and was inferior to everyone around him. He gestured towards the blond-haired boy as he turned to speak to Fran.  “This is Belphegor, but you can call him Bel.  He’ll also be sharing his room with you.”

The boy’s – Bel, Fran had learnt – mouth dropped open before he turned to presumably glare at the burnet - but beneath all that hair, it was hard to tell what he was even looking at.  “I will _not_ share a room with a _peasant!”_

“I’m sorry, Bel,” Sawada explained, “but this was not my decision; Xanxus said the other rooms are crowding and because you’re the only one not sharing a room, we decided to let him bunk with you.”

“The prince should turn you into a cactus...” Belphegor didn't stay; he walked away, mumbling under his breath as he did so.

Fran watched Bel leave with an emotionless stare.  When the boy was out of sight, he looked up at Tsuna and fell silent once again. He was a quiet kid, and he wasn't prepared to start talking again anytime soon.

**_~~That night~~_ **

Fran had met most of the other residents at the dinner table, but that didn’t mean he was interested in any of them; the small plate of food he had been given was more appealing than the others, and he had barely touched it at all.  He was finding it very difficult to become attentive towards the others under the same roof; all he wanted was to be by his lonesome where no one would ever come near him again.

The kid stared out of the window across from him with his usual blank expression.  The black sky threatened to pelt the earth with rain as it rumbled occasionally with the onset of a storm, and the trees swayed with the wind so hard, he considered if they might be ripped out of the earth at some stage tonight. 

Fran was so absorbed, he didn’t notice as the people at the dining table slowly disappeared off to do their own things, leaving him alone with Belphegor who was currently violently stabbing the meat on his plate with a maniacal grin on his face.

The younger boy’s attention slowly drifted over to the blond as he watched this act.  He blinked a few times but he didn’t speak; he didn’t feel the need to. 

Bel paid no attention to his observer as he ripped his meat apart savagely like a ravenous wild animal would.  His food had spilled all over the table by now as he had spent far more time playing with it than actually eating it, and every now and then when he would actually eat some of the tiny pieces he had ripped up, he would chew slowly as the clock on the wall behind him ticked away with each passing second.  Fran could recognise an eating disorder when he saw one, even if he didn’t realise that was what it was; all he knew was that he himself couldn’t eat much at all, let alone huge meals, and all he could manage was bite-sized pieces as small as the ones the blond seemed to take forever to swallow, almost as if he physically couldn’t get it down into his stomach.

Neither boy spoke until someone walked into the dining room.  It was a male, with long silver hair that hung down their chest.  He was frowning as he observed the two, but that quickly disappeared when he narrowed his eyebrows and opened his mouth. 

“Voi!”

Fran blinked at the man’s shout while Bel only grinned up at the man.  The younger watched as the new intruder moved to stand behind Bel, and he couldn’t help but feel the corners of his lips twitch upwards as he watched the older boy get back-handed across the head.

“What the hell are you still doing up, brat?” The man bared his teeth threateningly as he raised his hand and held it above Belphegor’s head as if he were going to strike again.  “You should have left for bed ages ago!  You know you have a bedtime!”

Bel slipped his hand into his pocket and pulled out the knife he had hidden.  He knew it would get him into trouble, but he wasn’t thinking clearly tonight; his mind was clouded and it was hard for him to consider his actions properly.  His lips curled into a grin as he pointed the knife threateningly at the man.  “I’ll make you bleed, Squalo.”

The silver-haired male who Fran had figured was Squalo grabbed Bel by the wrist and twisted his arm back so that he could take the knife out of the orphan’s hand.  “Weren’t you told to leave knives alone, you little shit?! I’ll get Xanxus to check your room again!”

Bel frowned before he stood up from his seat and stormed out of the room.  There was a loud bang from down the hall seconds after his retreat, and Fran could only look at Squalo and tilt his head slightly; he couldn’t quite work out what had just happened; all he knew was that he was sharing a home with a freak.

**_~~With Bel~~_ **

The blond had kicked back on his bed after leaving the dining room angrily, furious that the last knife he had been able to hide had been taken.  He knew it was his fault for having showed it to Squalo, but still…!  His room was dark, the only light shining through the slight part in the closed curtains, and he couldn’t say he was happy about this; total darkness made him uneasy.

The only sounds Bel could hear was the occasional car passing by in the street across his bedroom, or the soft thud of possessions falling to the hardwood floor from one of the other rooms around him.  He knew that he was sixteen and he shouldn’t be afraid of the dark, but when he could hear life around him, but couldn’t _see_ it, it would put him on edge; how was he supposed to protect himself from what he couldn’t see?

The boy didn’t close his eyes, not willing to sleep; not now when he was so worked up – he didn’t want the nightmares to come to him again tonight.

When a loud knock sounded on Bel’s door, the blond growled before he rolled onto his side so that his back was to the door; he knew exactly who was there, and he didn’t want to deal with them.  “Go away!”

The visitor didn’t listen.  They instead turned the knob and opened the rickety door.  Xanxus stuck his head inside, and he narrowed his eyes narrowed as he addressed the younger; he wasn’t happy about being here because he would have much rather stayed in his office with his wine rather than have to deal with an unruly orphan.  “Room check, you trash.  Squalo told me you’ve been hiding knives again.”

“Shishishi~” Bel laughed before he shrugged.  He kept his back to his elder and didn’t acknowledge the other any further; he remained staring at the wall in front of him.

Xanxus slipped his hand into the room and flicked the light-switch.  He smirked as he heard Bel hiss at the sudden brightness; serves the brat right for making him have to get up.  He stepped in through the doorway, prepared to turn the room upside-down to make sure Bel wasn’t hiding anymore knives; he knew what the boy would get up to if he had any left, and he refused to let that happen on his watch because it would be far too messy to clean up.

Bel laid carelessly on his bed as he listened to the man rummage around in his room.  He knew he was a messy person, clothes laying everywhere amongst empty food containers and other random items, and it irked him to know Xanxus would probably tidy up a bit while he was here; he liked his room the way it was, and he didn’t want it changed.

The blond didn’t move until he was forcibly pushed off the bed so that the black-haired male could pull his blankets and pillowcases off the bed in order to search for hidden objects.  When at last Xanxus deemed the boy safe enough after no forbidden weapons turned up, he growled at Bel as he gestured towards the door.  “Fran is spending the night with you.  Make room for him, trash.”

Bel growled at these words.  He rolled onto his side from his new position on the floor beside his bed and glared through his long bangs at the teal-haired male who had come to stand in the doorway sometime during Xanxus’ search.  His lips curled into a sneer as he silently _dared_ him to so much as _step_ into the room.

Xanxus was quick to leave after he shoved Fran into the room and closed the door behind him.  Fran glanced down at Bel with the same emotionless face he had worn all day.  “…”

“What are _you_ looking at, _peasant?”_ Bel spat as he pushed himself onto his feet.  He climbed into the tangle of blankets that was his bed before he turned back to his ‘guest’ and pointed at the ground.  “The prince doesn’t care where you sleep as long as it’s on the floor.”

With that said, Bel forced himself into sleep, leaving Fran to find somewhere to sleep in the mess of a room.  Amongst the clothing and many other things scattered across the ground, barely any floor could be seen, and he truly didn’t know where he was supposed to lay. 

With a sigh, Fran gathered up some of the clothing so that he could make his own little nest to curl up in.  It was better than what he was used to sleeping on, after all; the cold, hard bottom of a steel cage he had never been allowed out of _._

Fran couldn’t help but find it difficult to fall asleep; he felt as if the unfamiliarity of this place was consuming him, and he felt far too suffocated within his own skin.  He didn’t know what he wanted; just that he would have been happier if he had somewhere to curl up by himself with no one else around.

But already this place was making him far too uncomfortable, and he didn’t know how to deal with it.

 

 


	3. Chapter 3

**This is a long chapter and mostly in Fran’s point of view.  It introduces a bit more of the characters, adds some development and kick-starts the plot towards the end.**

Fran awoke the next morning to someone knocking on the closed bedroom door.  His eyes opened slowly, having almost forgotten where he was, before he wondered if he should get up and answer the door; would his meant-to-be roommate appreciate it?

The boy’s unspoken question was soon answered by Bel groaning loudly before shouting out, “Get lost, peasant!”

The reply slipped through the door in a soft, calm voice, almost as if they weren’t fazed by Bel in the least.  “If you do not get up, you and Fran are going to miss out on breakfast and games.”

 _Games?_ Fran thought.  _The other orphanages never played_ games.  _We were lucky if we even got attention paid to us..._

The blond growled as he rolled onto his side and stared at the door.  “The only game the prince wants to play is target practise with you as the target, Mukuro.”

 _Mukuro?_ Fran knew he had heard that name before.  _...I think that’s one of the kids I was eating breakfast with.  I think he was sitting with a girl named Chrome..._

“Kufufu~” The door opened, revealing the same blue-haired male Fran had first met.  His hair was spiked at the back, reminding the teal-haired kid of a pineapple.  He wore a mist-patterned shirt with a green jacket, and his jeans were a dark blue.  His heterochromatic eyes shifted between the two occupants of the room.  “Have it your way, Belphegor.  Are you going to join us, little one?”

Fran shivered under the taller male’s gaze; Mukuro was a frightening enough person as it was, and those eyes made him more uneasy than he should have been; there was just something about having a mismatched set of eyes focused so intently on him that didn’t sit right with him.

The kid nodded just to get the blue-haired male away from him; he had no intention of joining the ‘game’ because he didn’t trust anyone to not hurt him.  Instead, he would much rather try and find another secluded to place like he had the day previously and let the others wander the place in search f of him.  He didn’t care what they would do to him if they found him; at least he would have that seclusion for a while...

“When you are ready, meet us outside.” Mukuro offered a small smile before he stepped back out into the corridor and closed the bedroom door.  Fran cocked his head to the side as he looked behind him and found that Bel was curled up with his blankets around him like a cocoon, hinting that he wasn’t about to get up any time soon.

With a sigh, Fran got to his feet and left the room slowly.  He wasn’t exactly sure of where he was going; just that he didn’t want to stay in Bel’s room any longer.  The upstairs floorboards groaned under his steps, making Fran wonder just how old this place was; it honestly held that atmosphere that abandoned places tended to give.

When the boy descended the staircase to the first floor, he came to the hallway that led from the front door to the living area.  He couldn’t sense anyone else about, so he figured he would hide out in the living room corner again; if he was lucky, no one would come in like last night.

For a bit over ten minutes, Fran had been alone, but when he heard the front door open and an unfamiliar voice call out for him, he couldn’t help but wince; did that mean someone was going to come looking for him?  What if they found his hiding spot?  Would they look there every time if he was found?  What if he couldn’t find another hiding spot? 

“Darling, you almost got left behind.”

Fran sighed inwardly as a large shadow fell over him; so much for hiding away.  He looked up to see who was blocking the light, and he was rather surprised to see a strange looking man.  The man’s hair was brown with a part of green on one side.  He wore sunglasses that blocked his eyes from view, and the trench coat he had on was layered with orange fur around the hood.  Fran didn’t know what to make of the other because he had never seen such an odd-looking person before.

Teal eyes stared blankly at the man before Fran spoke in his emotionless tone.  He was unable to recall a name for the other, so he addressed the older male by the first thing to come to his head. “Hello, perverted peacock drag queen.”

The ‘peacock’ opened his mouth in surprise as he raised his hands to grasp at his cheeks.  “Dear, please do not call me such things!  My name is Lussuria and I’m the cook here!”

Fran’s body quivered slightly before he pulled away when Lussuria came closer, not wanting the other to be so close to him; having been raised in a home with parents far too unfit to have even _had_ a child, Fran had learnt to fear his personal space being intruded upon – the only emotion he seemed capable of feeling.

Lussuria, as much as he wanted to, knew better than to engulf this little boy in a tight hug; though no personal details had been given to him by Xanxus or Squalo, he knew Fran had come out of a very bad home, only to be bounced around orphanages that didn’t know how to handle him.  It was a shame, but it seemed to be the same for most of the kids here, as sad as it was.   

It was one of the reasons Lussuria loved being with the Varia House; they were willing to take in damaged children in hopes of rehabilitating them to live normal lives when no one else wanted them.  Nothing made him happier than seeing their children coming far enough to finally be adopted by someone who wanted them – but nine times out of ten, their kids stayed with them until they were adults.  Sadly, Fran was by far one of the best-behaved kids that had been in through this door and, out of all of the orphans here, was probably the only one likely to be adopted.

“Sweetie, I’m going to go make sure Bel is up and ready, so please go outside and find a seat on the bus,” Lussuria said gently.  He offered a smile to Fran before he moved to hurry up the stairs; they should have already left by now, but as usual, Bel hadn’t gotten out of bed despite it being ten-thirty already.

Fran couldn’t help but wonder why getting on a bus was necessary; he was quite happy staying where he was.  He was unsure of whether he could get away with hiding somewhere else in the house, but he quickly decided against it; these people were strangers, and just because they hadn’t hurt him yet didn’t mean they wouldn’t if given the chance. He was cautious as he got to his feet and made his way over to the front door; if he truly felt anything other than the anxiety he usually felt, he didn’t know how to show it.  

The front door squeaked loudly as he opened it and, for the first time since his arrival, he took notice of his surroundings; there were other houses along this street, but the closest ones looked vacant, almost as if no one wanted to live next door to the orphanage.  He didn’t know how he felt about that; he knew that it meant no one wanted to be near them, but at the same time, he wasn’t sure if he were capable of caring.  The front lawn was neatly trimmed and the flowerbed that lay against the white weatherboard wall flourished.  The steps leading down from the veranda were cement and lead on to the walkway in the middle of the lawn, heading out to the mailbox at the end.  There were shutters on the windows and, all-in-all, the house gave that feel as if it had seen better days.

There was a minibus parked in the driveway by the side of the house with a few other cars surrounding it, and Fran could see Xanxus sitting in the driver’s seat with Squalo as his passenger.  As far as Fran could tell, all the kids who lived in the home were seated on the bus.

Fran had to muster all the strength he had to make his way to the bus.  He ignored the glares the two adults gave him for making them all wait and instead went to find a seat where he could be by himself.  The bus was only small, so the best he could do was sit in empty seats behind two rowdy boys, one with silver hair and the other he recognised to be the same grey-haired teen from breakfast yesterday – Ryohei, if he recalled correctly.

Fran didn’t pay any attention to the people around him; he put his chin into his hand as he stared out of the window.  He was vaguely aware of Bel getting onto the bus as well, kicking up a fuss as he cussed Lussuria out for making him go, but the blond took his own seat on the other side of the bus.

“You brats had better have your fucking seatbelts on!” Squalo’s voice echoed through the confined area, and Fran sighed as he felt a headache coming on.  He hated to feel the bus reversing out of the driveway, but he knew there was nothing he could do; perhaps if he just sat there quietly, he would be left alone.

“…And so Sawada came out to watch me because Squalo and Lussuria couldn’t make it, and he –“

“What?!  Tenth went somewhere without me?!  Why didn’t he bring me?!”

Fran let his eyes wander to the two teens in front of him.  He honestly wasn’t sure if he were curious or annoyed by their conversation; maybe a bit of both?  He didn’t know; he had never really been in a situation like this before.

“Sawada said you had a test at school and he didn’t want you to miss it.  You know who he brought with him, though?”

“Who?”

Ryohei’s voice lowered into a disgusted tone.  “Belphegor…”

From where the older two had their heads turned to speak to each other, Fran could see the silver-haired male’s face turn into a grimace.  “Eww…  Why bring… _that_ …?”

Fran watched as the two turned their heads to stare at Bel.  It didn’t take Bel long to notice the looks, and he bristled before yelling, “Stop staring at me!  I hate you!”

“Belphegor!”

Fran instinctively tensed at Squalo’s shout.  He looked away when he saw the man was stomping down to the back of the bus, and all he could think about was that the blond boy was going to get hurt – but to his honest surprise, that wasn’t the case; Squalo sat down next to Bel and spoke in a voice so quiet, the teal-haired male couldn’t hear what was being said.  Bel mumbled something inaudible back as he looked at his lap and gripped his pant legs tightly.  He held a sad expression on his face that Fran was all too familiar with, but then something happened that he didn’t understand; why was Squalo putting his arm around Bel’s shoulders?  What did that mean? 

The strange act between the two only lasted for a minute or so before Squalo patted Bel’s head and stood up again to go back to the front of the bus.  Fran watched the blond, finding him curled up on his seat looking so sad. 

The teal-haired male’s attention soon went back to his window, and he drifted off into his own little world, unaware that the bus had finally reached its destination until he felt it stop and turn off.  He blinked to clear his mind before he looked to see where they were, and he found them at what looked to be a very large open space with lots of trees behind it.  He didn’t care much for the open space; he wanted to go and explore all those trees and see where they led him. 

The bus emptied quickly of its passengers, and by now Ryohei and the silver-haired male were shouting at each other and had to be pulled away from each other by Xanxus and Squalo.  As they were being spoken to for their behaviour, Fran could make out the silver-haired male’s name to be Hayato.

While everyone stood by the bus so that Squalo could organise them all, two more cars pulled up beside them.  Fran found that Tsuna was driving one of the cars with a dark-haired male Fran hadn’t seen before with him.  The second one to arrive had red and blue lights on the roof and painting all over the body, and Fran didn’t recognise either of the people in it.

Fran unconsciously stepped away as the newcomers approached their group; he was overwhelmed by so many unexpected people, and all he wanted to do was run and hide; it was hard enough for him to be around all of the other orphans and the adults in charge of them, let alone even _more_ people adding to the fray…  He was reassured only by the fact that he could see Xanxus and Squalo talking to them, so it reassured him that at least those two knew who they were; they hadn’t hurt him as of yet, so perhaps they wouldn’t let _these_ people hurt him, either – or was that just wishful thinking?  He didn’t even know anymore... 

“Tenth!”

Fran blinked as Hayato ran to Tsuna’s side with his mouth twisted into a huge smile.  His hands were clasped together as if he were honoured to be so close to the brunet, and Fran didn’t get why that was; why would the other be so excited that someone else was here?  

“Tenth!  You came!”

Tsuna smiled as greeted the boy.  “Hello, Gokudera-kun.”

“Yo!”

Hayato’s happy expression was soon replaced by a scowl as he glared at the dark-haired male who had arrived with Tsuna.  He moved forward and shoved said man away from the brunet as he growled, “You’re too close to the Tenth!  Back off!”

The man laughed heartily as he ruffled silver-hair, and his happy smile showed no sign of offense to Hayato’s words; it was almost as if he… was accepting of the other’s attitude.

Fran wondered about them; why did Hayato seem so happy to be with Tsuna?  And why did he refer to the older male as the Tenth?  And these strangers?  What was with them?  Why were they here?  Who the _hell_ was he _living with?_

The small group of kids slowly dispersed as most of them headed off towards the oval – though it would take Fran a long time to learn that that was indeed what the ‘open space’ was called – so that they could do their own things.  It was eventually just Hayato, Bel and Fran who were left standing by the adults, and the child couldn’t work out why the blond would choose to stay here when the taller male clearly didn’t like the ones he lived with.

Fran’s unspoken question was soon answered when Bel turned around to leave, but was quickly stilled by a stern voice from behind him.

“Don’t even think about it, herbivore.”

Fran blinked at the peculiar choice of words; he wondered what herbivore meant as he had never heard it said before.  Was it an insult?  Probably; he had heard many of those before.  He could understand that it was the raven-haired man dressed in a uniform who had spoken, but it still left the question as to what Bel had done wrong; all he had done was try to walk away, and none of the other kids had been in trouble for it.  Perhaps Bel was like Fran in a sense that everything he did only made others mad at him, even if he had just sat where he was and said and done nothing at all. 

Bel growled as he folded his arms across his chest and turned to – presumably – glare at his elders.  “You can’t tell the prince what to do!  You’re not my guardian!”

“Don’t give me lip or I’ll bite you to death,” the raven threatened in a voice as cold as ice.

The blond man that was standing with the cop placed his hands on the uniformed male’s shoulders in what Fran was sure was an attempt to calm his friend down.  Now that Fran thought about it, he was sure that the other’s uniform was that of a police officer; he had seen them before when they had come to take him from his home and put him in an orphanage instead.  “Now, now, Kyouya; he’s just a boy.”

Tsuna glanced down at Fran and saw the slight confusion the child’s narrowed eyebrows suggested.  He then realised that the newest addition to his family hadn’t met the three newcomers before and it was probably making him nervous – of _course_ it would make Fran nervous on second thought; this entire _situation would_ be daunting for him. 

The brunet knelt down so that he was level with the younger and put on his most comforting smile as he gestured to the other adults.  His hand waved at the tallest of the adults, the same male who had arrived with Tsuna.

“This is my close friend, Yamamoto,” the brunet explained.  “He volunteers to do activities with the kids.  And this is Dino and Hibari-san.  Hibari-san comes out to keep an eye on things and make sure no one gets into trouble.”

Fran noticed the topic of why Dino was there was avoided, and the conversation instead turned to gathering the kids together to get them ready now that everyone was here.

Squalo was the first to speak once everyone was together, his voice loud as he ordered the kids around.  “Everyone who’s playing had better get their fucking asses over onto the field!  Bel, you’re still on the bench from beating those brats up last time we were here!”

“Ushishishi~” Bel laughed.  His voice carried towards the adults as he made his way over to the bench sitting by a small rest area.  His obscured eyes glinted with malice as he recalled the way he had savagely attacked the last group of kids who had been here at the same time as them for getting too close to him, and he hadn’t stopped until Squalo had come to pull him away.  He had gotten into huge trouble for it, but he didn’t care; all that mattered was that he had protected himself.  “They shouldn’t have bothered the prince!”

Fran watched the boy clamber into the rest area as the uncomfortable feeling of being misplaced consumed him; he didn’t feel like he belonged here with these other kids, like he deserved to be treated well compared to the other orphans he had stayed with – to be treated as if he was someone the adults cared about, even if Squalo and Xanxus shouted and swore at them all.  He didn’t deserve not being yelled at, being smacked and kicked around; he deserved the abuse he had been given for all that time, and it was stressing him greatly to have to be here in an environment he didn’t understand.

When Tsuna squeezed the confused boy’s shoulder gently, Fran’s emotions only heightened further.  The brunet said, “If you want to play baseball with the others, just follow everyone else.  Otherwise you can sit on the bench with Bel, okay?”

Fran’s reply was to turn around and follow Bel to the rest area, not wanting to associate himself in something like a ‘game’.  From what he was used to, it would most likely involve pain – _a lot_ of pain.  It was because of the prominent violence in his short life that Fran had learnt to tolerate hurt, but that didn’t mean he enjoyed it; if there was the chance, he would rather avoid it.

While Bel had claimed the very edge of the bench for himself in order to put as much distance between Fran and himself as possible, he found his efforts had been in vain as Fran followed right beside him to get away from Hibari, the cop’s very presence pushing the teal-haired male to Bel’s side. 

Bel narrowed his hidden eyes at the younger, and he slapped the hand away that came to grab his striped shirt.  He shuddered, unable to bear being touched; the only person he felt safe enough to allow to touch him was Squalo, and even then he couldn’t stand the long-haired man so close ninety-five percent of the time.  “Don’t touch the prince, peasant.”

Fran’s eyes widened for a split second before he calmly pulled his hand back to his own person.  “I wouldn’t want to catch your pathetic attitude, _Prince-Self-Appointed.”_

Bel bit down on his lip before he balled his hand into a fist.  He couldn’t stop himself from throwing it as hard as he could into the younger’s face, and he smirked triumphantly when it made contact; that ought to teach the little shit who to make fun of!  He couldn’t help but laugh as Fran was knocked backwards off the bench as blood started flowing down his chin from his nose and lip.  A twisted grin crossed his face as he found small specks of blood on his knuckles, and his gaze never left the smaller male’s as he raised his fist to lips and licked the blood away.

Fran raised a hand to his face and held his bloodied lips.  His eyes showed no emotion as the cop behind him quickly moved to Bel’s side and grabbed the blond’s hand before anything else could happen.  Bel snarled as he tried to get away from the other, but Hibari was much stronger and wasn’t about to let him go.

“Do you want to go back into lockup for a few days again, herbivore?” The skylark leant in close enough for his hot breath to billow against the blond’s ear.  “They told me it knocked some sense into you for a few days.  We can test that theory out again if you like.”

Before Bel had the chance to protest against the threat of being locked in a jail cell again, the teal-haired child spoke softly, though inside he was anxious; he was only too used to being punched in the face, and he didn’t want it to start happening again.  “I’m going to tell the long-haired dumbass on you.  He’ll give me permission to kill you.”

“Why, you little –“ Bel couldn’t finish his sentence as Hibari was quick to force him to his feet.  “What are you doing?  Don’t touch me!”

“Your lack of manners gets to me.” Hibari narrowed his dark eyes.  “I don’t know how they put up with you.  I would not be able to deal with someone as ungrateful and annoying as you in my home.”

The two glared at each other until Bel was the first to give in.  He went back to his seat and glared anywhere but at the two next to him; he really wasn’t in the mood for another confrontation with the skylark as the other was able to overpower him easily – he knew that from personal experience. 

It seemed no one else had taken notice of the scuffle as they were all was absorbed in the game of baseball they were playing.  Fran wasn’t too sure of how the game worked, having never played it before, but it looked like the man he remembered as Dino was holding something he thought was a bat, while Tsuna was standing in front of him about to throw a ball.

Fran wasn’t too sure what the point of this was but, once the ball was thrown and it connected with the bat, he felt as if not only the ball but the bat as well was heading straight for them as Dino lay slumped on the ground, looking as if he had tripped over air.

Fran watched as the two objects sailed to his side before a loud thump sounded beside him.  He blinked and looked down, finding Hibari hanging backwards off the bench  as he held his face in a similar manner as to how Fran had been earlier.  It seemed obvious to the kid that his elder had been hit in the face and knocked off the bench from the impact and, if Bel’s hysteric laughing was anything to judge by, the blond found it hilarious.

Dino came running over to their aid, and his eyes were wide as he repeatedly called out for the cop.  “Kyouya, Kyouya!  Kyouya, I’m so – oomph!”

Fran couldn’t believe what he was seeing; Dino had, once again, hit the ground just before them.  When the adult got back to his feet and crawled to Hibari’s side, it took only one glance into those anger-filled black orbs to realise he was in trouble. 

Dino gulped in sudden terror and got to his feet.  He ran in the opposite direction he had come from, stumbling every now and then while a furious Hibari chased after him.  While everyone’s attention was focused on the two, Fran took this opportunity to slip away, wanting some time to be by himself – if he was lucky, everyone would forget he existed and leave without him.

Though no one else seemed to notice, Bel was intrigued by the younger’s actions; where was the younger going, and why? Since he had first laid eyes on the younger, he had felt an overwhelming curiosity about Fran.  He wanted to know why the teal-haired kid didn’t seem to be scared of him at all like everyone else was; he had never been able to make friends, and even his guardians at the Varia Orphanage didn’t always trust him; only too many times had they called Hibari to come and babysit him when he lost all control and _snapped_.  He was used to people being scared of him, so to find someone – someone as young as _Fran_ , even – who wasn’t afraid to talk back to him…

Well, it invoked… _things_ in him he had never felt before.

Bel, also, got to his feet.  He was careful to sneak off after Fran while everyone’s attention was diverted; he knew that if someone saw him leaving their view, he was going to be in trouble again as he wasn’t supposed to be unsupervised while in public – hell, he even found it hard to get a bit of privacy at the _orphanage_. 

As he chased after Fran, Bel couldn’t help but think that the other was a smart kid to disappear into the small forest bordering on the edge of the oval; if anyone noticed they were missing, it would take a long time to find them amongst all of those trees – and Bel could do whatever he wanted to the younger without being interrupted.

 

 

 

 


	4. Chapter 4

Belphegor was curious as to why the little boy was heading so deep into the wooded area; was Fran really that antisocial?  Was he running away?  What was he doing?  The blond’s lips twisted into a sick grin as the thought that perhaps Fran wanted to play target practise with him crossed his mind; he would love to pin the younger to a tree with knives and hear the teal-haired child cry out in pain as blood dribbled to the ground beneath them...

Bel bit back a soft moan as he felt his pants tighten at the images running through his mind.  He shook his head to clean them and tried not to think too much on it; he didn’t want to have to give up his pursuit in order to take care of his needs because people never played hide-and-seek with him – they knew what they would be getting themselves into if they ever did, and he wanted to savour this moment.

Fran was quick as he weaved through the trees and thick underbrush, and Bel was too proud to admit he was having trouble keeping up with him. 

 _What is he doing?_ Bel thought to himself as he clambered over a fallen log, trying to keep his presence hidden from the teal-haired child.  _Is he going anywhere in particular?  Why is he here in the first place?_

The teenager knew there was a river not far from here, and he briefly wondered if Fran was heading for that.  If he was right, what would the boy achieve by going there?  Was he going to drown himself? 

“Ushishishi~” Bel couldn’t help but laugh as he imagined the little child floating face-down in the river.  He felt his nether-regions reacting to the thought once again but he ignored the feeling – there was no need to do anything about it now.  “Stupid peasant...”

As expected, when the faint sounds of running water became audible to the two boys, Fran’s attention was grabbed if the instant cocking of a small head was anything to go by.  The child looked off into the direction the sounds were coming from for a few seconds before he changed course, heading towards it. Bel followed, intrigued by the boy’s manner of thinking; what had lead him out here in the first place and then towards the sounds of running water? 

It took only a minute or two for Fran to stumble across the river, and Bel watched as he almost immediately jumped into the shallowness of the cold stream so that he could splash around and jump from exposed island to exposed island like he was some sort of frog trying to cross to the other side.

Bel grinned at his analogy; he had a frog back at the Varia House name Mammon.  Maybe when they got back, he would put Mammon onto Fran’s head and see how the younger reacted; it would be a funny sight if the emotionless boy didn’t like frogs, and he was in the mood for a bit of torture; perhaps if all of the adults cleared out of the house for some reason, he could do a lot more than just play around with Mammon...

The blond teen was hidden behind a large tree growing on the bank of the stream, knowing he couldn’t let the other see him, but the sight of water dripping from the pale body made the dull throbbing in his groin ache even further, and he knew he was going to have to do something about it soon. 

Bel bit back a hiss as he trained his eyes onto the boy and ghosted his hand over the crotch of his pants, unable to resist any further; though he usually found it very easy to ignore his desires and tended not to masturbate, sometimes things went through his head that just made him way too aroused to leave it be. 

The boy moaned softly as he groped himself through the thick material of his pants, unable to understand why he could only feel like this when things he _knew_ was disgusting went through his mind; he just couldn’t get off without a bit of blood and pain.  He remembered Xanxus and Squalo once telling him that even though it wasn’t his fault, he was very unstable mentally and because of it, he was wired differently than most people.  He didn’t know whether he believed that explanation or not, but what he _did_ know was that it was so fucking sick of him to need to fantasise about raping and maiming someone just so he could have an orgasm. 

Bel closed his eyes and played with the scenario of Fran on his knees, with Bel forcing his hardened member into that tiny mouth and the child struggling to get away as he choked and sputtered from the unwanted invasion.  He licked his lips as he pictured tears running down those pale cheeks and the cries of fear the younger made as thrust after thrust opened his throat wide.  He groaned as he slipped his hand into his pants so that he could take hold of himself.  He couldn’t help it; he was so lost in his thoughts he didn’t hear the footsteps behind him, and the hand that grabbed his shoulder startled him out of his activity.

The blond turned to glare at the people who had intruded upon his personal time.  He came face-to-face with Dino and Hibari, the older blond blushing as he looked anywhere but at the child while Hibari radiated a deadly aura. 

“Do you have any idea of the worry you’ve put the others through?” Hibari hissed as he pulled on the black jacket Bel was wearing, forcing the younger to his feet.  “Why would you disappear for _this?_  Could you not keep it in your pants until you got home?  What a silly thing to worry your guardians over.”

“Kyouya, he’s… doing _that_ … because of…” Dino swallowed thickly as he pointed over to the river where Fran was still playing, oblivious to the others near him.  He shuddered at the idea of Bel fantasising about such a young child, but he wasn’t surprised; he knew for a fact that the smaller blond truly didn’t know any better, and no matter how hard Squalo had tried to raise Bel to be a normal kid, nothing he had done had been able to save him. 

Kyouya closed his eyes as found what Dino was pointing at.  His grip tightened on Bel’s jacket, but he knew not to say or do anything right now; he had to leave it up to Squalo to handle, and if the silver-haired male wanted his help on the matter, the man would ask.  He certainly wasn’t happy about it, but what could he do?  Bel was damaged, and he wasn’t going to learn what the difference between right and wrong through the beating Hibari wanted to give him; it would only make the situation worse.  “…”

Bel pointed out the swelling and forming bruise around Hibari’s eye, a sure result from where he had been hit by the baseball.  “Ushishishi~  Looks like the boyfriend won’t get any for the next week now, not with hurting your face!”

Hibari’s hold tightened as he growled in anger; it was common knowledge he hated having his relationship talked about, especially in front of him.  He was stopped from attacking the boy only by Dino putting his hands up in defence as he tried to diffuse the situation.  “Now, now, Kyouya, Bel is only young and it wouldn’t do to hurt him!  Maybe you should walk him back to the others while I get Fran.  Squalo's very worried, and he'll want to know that Bel is safe. Okay?”

Hibari's eyes narrowed further as he regarded Dino. When he finally nodded, his teeth were clenched.  “I’ll bite you to death when we get home, Cavallone.”

Dino nervously rubbed the back of his head before he hurried away towards the river in order to get Fran; he didn’t want to risk his safety by staying with the riled-up younger because he knew Hibari well enough to know the raven needed time to calm down from the stress of today’s events – being hit with a baseball wasn’t the only stressor the younger had gone through today.

Grass and sticks crunched under the blond’s feet as Dino approached the river, watching as the boy played in the river.  It was only when he tripped over a tree root and collapsed onto the ground, letting a loud grunt out, did Fran notice.

The younger turned around on the small island he was standing on.  He blinked at the male, surprised by his presence; why had the man come after him?  Did Dino want to hurt him now that they were alone?  Or had he been worried about his disappearance and came looking for him?  Was it a good or a bad thing Dino was here?

Dino got back to his feet when he noticed the younger’s gaze on him.  He smiled as he approached slowly, knowing he had to be slow in his movements lest he cause unrest between them; he didn’t know this boy’s background and so it was difficult to judge what actions were accepted and not accepted.

“It’s okay, Fran,” Dino explained as he took a step forward.  It was the first time Fran noticed the male’s odd accent, as if Japanese wasn’t his first language – just like him.  Somehow, it was a little comforting to know that fact, even if he didn’t quite understand why; perhaps it was because he didn’t exactly feel alone because of it.  “The others were getting worried when they noticed you weren’t with them, so I came out to try and find you and make sure you were safe.”

Fran frowned, unable to believe these words; did the man truly expect him to believe such obvious lies?  His safety had never been an issue to others before – they were the ones always hurting him, after all.  Why should things change now after so many years of pain?

Fran backed away and shook his head.  His first instinct was to run, to get away from this male who only wanted to hurt him, so why was he having trouble moving his legs?

Dino grew his own frown as he noticed the uneasiness on the child’s face, wanting nothing more than to help him; he could understand why the younger was acting like this because a lot of the kids that came from the same orphanage Hibari had had similar issues – hell, Hibari himself had taken a lot of work, and even though the skylark was still very difficult, Dino never regretted giving the younger a home so that they could be together.  “Fran, it’s really okay.  You can trust me.”

“I don’t trust _anyone.”_ Fran’s voice was so quiet, Dino had barely heard it over the gentle breeze.  It was filled with fright and, if the blond wasn’t mistaken, the child was on the verge of tears – but why would the other be about to cry?  From what he had been told, the kid had only been stoic since his arrival at the orphanage – what had he done to change that?  “Leave me alone, blond idiot.”

Cavallone had to admit these words hurt him – it hurt for his natural clumsiness to be used as a derogatory term against him, of course – but it hurt more to know that this little boy, barely taller than the average four year old, was so damaged, he couldn’t even accept such simple help.  It broke his heart to know that there were so many kids out there like Fran who had been broken, and he wished he could help; the only problem was, he truly didn’t know _how_ to help.

“Fran...”

Fran dropped his gaze to his feet as he found the strength to move away – but this time he slipped and fell into a drop-off too deep for his frail body to stand in.  He flailed his arms in distress as he struggled to keep his head above water, but it was useless; he kept going under, and he could only panic as his lungs kept filling with water at a rapid pace.

Dino panicked.  His first thought was that he was about to watch the child drown, but he would never stand by and let such a thing happen; his feet moved of their own accord and the distance between he and Fran was closing; in this moment, the only thing that mattered was getting closer to the kid who obviously couldn’t swim. 

“Fran!  Fran, keep your head up!” The blond didn’t even realise that, for once, he hadn’t fallen or even stumbled as he so often did – but when he would think back on it, he could understand why; Fran was important to him, and he wouldn’t let his clumsiness get in the way of saving this child.    

Dino’s heart almost stopped when he finally scooped the boy up from under the water.  He was scared; Fran’s eyes were closed and he wasn’t breathing – had it really taken him so long just to get there and rescue him…?  The blond made his way to the closest shore and laid the boy down on the dirt.  He checked Fran’s airways, and he was horrified to find that water had filled the boy’s lungs.  In his worry, he did the only thing he could think to do; CPR.

The minutes that passed felt like years as the blond did his best to get Fran breathing again, and Dino was starting to think he had been too late.  His chest clenched at the thought, and just when he was about to pull his hands back and call Hibari’s phone to tell him what had happened, Fran started coughing weakly.  Water trailed down his cheeks as he expelled the liquid he had unwillingly swallowed and his eyelids fluttered weakly as his tiny hands grasped at the dirt beneath them.  He was in as much distress as Dino was, and the blond couldn’t blame him; the kid had almost died. 

“Fran...” Dino knew he should have kept his hands to himself, but he was so relieved to know that the younger was okay, he couldn’t help himself; he reached out and pulled the frail body into his arms, hugging gently as he rested his forehead on wet hair.  “...Fran... You had me so worried...”

Fran felt too weak to comprehend what was going on; all he knew was someone had engulfed him in a hug – a _painless_ hug.  For the first time in his life, he didn’t feel nervous to have someone so close to him; it was reassuring for the elder’s body heat to seep through his wet clothes, bringing some warmth to his shaking body.

Slowly, small hands reached up and grasped at the brown jacket Dino wore. Fran closed his eyes and sighed softly as he placed his head against Dino’s chest, listening to the steady heartbeat.  For the first time in a long time, he wanted to _cry._ He didn’t want to hide his emotions and pretend everything was fine – he wanted to let everything out. 

Dino held the boy close.  He ran a large hand through teal hair, and as gently as he could, he said, “If you want to cry, it’s okay.  You can cry.”

Fran fought as hard as he could to keep his tears back, but a few stray ones dripped down his cheeks. He closed his eyes, unable to believe he hadn’t been reprimanded for showing emotion; never before had that happened because he used to be abused for even the slightest frown on his face – crying was what had earned him beatings so severe, he had gathered a few broken bones from them.

But… Dino was different... 

Dino could tell the child was freezing, so he carefully placed the child onto the ground.  He removed his jacket and wrapped it around the child as best he could; he would have preferred taking such wet clothing off the tiny body but, having practically raised Hibari himself after taking him away from the Varia Orphanage, he knew some things were better left undone.

“Let’s go back,” Dino whispered as he lifted Fran into his arms again.  “I bet everyone is worried.”

Fran didn’t reply; he just clung to the man as he tried to understand why Dino had been so…  Well, he didn’t even know _how_ to describe Dino; this was something he had _never_ experienced before, and he didn’t even know if there was a word for it.  Did this mean... the people at the Varia House weren’t as bad as he had thought...?


	5. Chapter 5

**There is attempted sexual abuse in this chapter but nothing graphic.  However, there will also be mentions of the subject later on for character history.  If this upsets you send me a PM and I’ll explain the characters’ histories there.**

It irked Bel to know that he had been put in charge of taking care of the now-ill Fran – it wasn’t _his_ fault the stupid kid had gotten sick by playing in water, so why was _he_ being punished for the brat’s stupidity?  It was bad enough he already had to let the little shit into his room or else he’d get yelled at!

But the worst part of it was that the fucking adults didn’t even trust him to babysit the brat in the first place!  They were constantly sticking their noses into Bel’s business, and it was driving him mad!    

The boy _wasn’t_ happy; though his guardians had been gone for most of the day and left Hayato in charge of everyone, Lussuria and Squalo had still come back at lunchtime with the bed they had bought for Fran so that he wasn’t sleeping on the floor any longer.  It had agitated the blond greatly, but no matter how much he protested and told them that he didn’t want that bed – let alone that _kid_ – in his room, the adults hadn’t listened to him and still set the bed up on the other side of Bel’s room (after hours of cleaning up the blond’s mess, of course).  As if that wasn’t enough, they had come again some hours later with more furnishings and clothing, pretty much _giving_ Fran the other side of Bel’s room – and despite how upset the boy clearly was over it, they _still_ hadn’t listened to him when he may as well have begged them to let him have his room to himself again.  

Bel hated sharing, and he hated that little homewrecker even more; never before had he been forced to share his room until _he_ came along, and Bel _hated_ him for it! 

Deep in thought about this, Bel sat on the bedside table that had just been placed in its position not even an hour ago on Fran’s side of the room.  His scowl was huge, and his glare was so heated, it could have melted ice.  He was watching the sleeping child, and all he wanted to do was take his pillow and smother the little fuck until he wasn’t breathing any longer – but he knew that if he did that, Squalo would know it was him and he’d let Hibari take him back to the jail for _much_ longer than just the standard couple of days they gave him to teach him ‘lessons’.  

The blond threw the wet rag he was holding down onto the floor; he had had enough of doing what Squalo was making him do when he _didn’t fucking want to –_ it wasn’t _his_ fault the brat had fallen in the stream!  He stood up again so that he could walk over to his bed in order to stand on it and look into the tank sitting on the windowsill above his bed. 

“Mammon...” Bel smiled to himself as he gently pulled the black frog out from its home and stroked a finger down its back.  The frog was the only thing he could truly smile around, a natural smile that didn’t show just how twisted he really was – when he was with the frog, he truly was just a kid.  “Ushishishi~  Mammon, let’s have some fun together~”

Bel glanced back at the kid that was sleeping uninvited in his room.  He snuck ever closer until he was near enough to drop the frog on the feverish face; maybe he couldn’t smother the other, but that didn’t mean he could do things like this since Squalo couldn’t prove shit. 

Fran’s eyes shot open as he pushed himself into a sitting position.  He looked dazedly around him as if searching for something in particular; he had felt something cold on his face, and it had truly startled him from his sleep.

“...B-bel...” The little voice was weak as the younger addressed Bel, but the blond had no sympathy; he was too busy grabbing Mammon from the bed and holding it against his chest. 

Belt tutted, cutting Fran off before he could finish speaking.  “You will address the prince as Bel- _senpai,_ peasant.”

Fran’s exhausted eyes stared at the blond for a few seconds before he said in a tone as monotonous as ever.  “But you’re a fake prince, _Bel-senpai.”_

Bel grit his teeth together.  He was about to reach out and wrap his hands around that tiny neck, but a gasp of fright soon stopped him.  He raised a hidden eyebrow behind his bangs as he watched Fran trying to inch himself away from the frog that had jumped onto his lap.

Bel couldn’t help but laugh at the other’s expression; Fran looked uncomfortable, almost as if he was frightened.  “Ushishishi~ What’s the matter, _Froggy?_ Scared?”

Through his hazy eyesight, the teal-haired child could see the smirk on the other’s face; Bel was enjoying this, wasn’t he?  “Don’t call me ‘Froggy’.  My name is Fran, Fake-Prince.”

Bel stepped forward and reached out to grab the boy’s wrists with his left hand.  He held the frail arms above Fran’s head, resting them on the headboard behind them so that Fran couldn’t push him away.  He straddled the tiny waist beneath him and leant in close enough that he could feel Fran’s breath against his face.  He whispered in the deadliest tone he had. “If you keep calling me a _fake_ prince, I’ll make sure you _hurt.”_

For once, Fran was scared.  The older boy was so close and, no matter how much he struggled, Bel wouldn’t get off him.  He could feel his heart starting to race as memories of his past flashed through his mind.  His breathing came in ragged gasps but Bel didn’t seem to care; he only closed the distance between them and bit down on the boy’s ear.

Fran yelped as teeth broke through the sensitive skin on his ear and droplets of blood dripped onto the black shirt he was wearing.  Tears welled up in his eyes as he tried to buck the stronger boy off him, but it was no use; Bel was too heavy to be shifted.

Bel’s hidden eyes watched the stream of blood drip down the pale skin, leaving red smears in its wake.  He felt himself becoming aroused at a rapid pace, his pants restraining what so desperately wanted to be free.  He moaned loudly as Fran’s struggling caused their groins to rub together, and he couldn’t help but smirk in lust when he realised his pleasured noise made the smaller male freeze in horror; did he know what was going to happen?

“Mmm, fuck…” Bel licked his lips.  He remembered how the adults had left hours ago, and though he didn’t know if they were back yet, he didn’t think they were; he hadn’t heard them for a while now.  He licked at the younger’s throat before saying, “I wanna fuck you so hard, you’ll never be able to walk again…”

Fran shivered as a hand caressed his cheek.  His body shook as he realised he was going to be used the same way he always had.  But... why...?  Wasn’t...  Weren’t the people here different...? 

Fran felt betrayed as he closed his eyes and resigned himself to his fate; it looked like he’d never escape from the torture he had always experienced, and all he had done was set himself up for disappointment by telling himself it wouldn’t happen here.  There was no use struggling; even if he _did_ get away, it would only make things more painful in the future.

Tears slipped down his cheeks as Fran heard the familiar sound of a zipper being undone.  He opened his mouth obediently and prepared himself for the unwanted intrusion and foul taste that always left him feeling sick for hours after the act had been done.  He may as well just get it over and done with, and then if he were lucky, he could have a break.

“Ushishishi~” Bel smirked as he pulled himself out of his pants and moved so he could press his hardened member against the pale cheek before him.  “Does little Froggy know what’s going to happen?  Are you a slut?  Have you done this for others before like the slut you are?”

 _Slut..._ Fran thought to himself sadly.  It was true he had always been referred to as a slut, even by the people at the other orphanages he had been to.  It was something he had never been able to escape, so he supposed he really _was_ a slut if so many people told him that was what he was  _...I guess I am...  But Bel...  I...  I hate myself for having believed this, but... I thought you were different...  I thought you were different..._

Bel didn’t press for an answer; he assumed Fran already knew the truth.  He laughed to himself at the thought, and he was just about to press himself into Fran’s mouth, but the door opening behind him stopped him; either one of the other kids was bothering him, or the adults had come home and were checking on him.  He didn’t know which scenario he would prefer; he knew he would be in trouble no matter who had opened his door.

“Voi!  Trash, Xanxus told me to – what the fuck are you doing?!”

 Bel turned around to glare at the man who had intruded upon his moment.  He made no attempt to cover up his actions; he knew Squalo had already seen what he was doing, and there was no point in trying to deny it.  “Leave the prince alone with his toy, peasant.”

Squalo, who had been shocked at what he had walked into, knew he shouldn’t have been surprised; if they hadn’t had a choice with the sudden, unexpected arrival of Fran and then said boy getting sick, they would have had time to work something out – Bel was far too unstable to be left alone with a young kid like Fran because the blond’s twisted mind could lead to _anything_. 

The gardener moved forward and pushed Bel onto the ground before he scooped Fran up into his arms and held the child close.  He grabbed hold of blond hair as roughly as he could so that he could drag Bel down to his boss’ office, intent on getting the brat dealt with while he sought out Tsuna to take care of Fran; while he knew Bel truly knew no better, he wasn’t letting something like this go unpunished; if they hadn’t have come home when they had, who knows what could have happened to Fran.

When Xanxus looked up from his desk where he had been signing documents, it took only one glance at the furious Bel and then the crying Fran to understand what had happened.  He had known something like this would happen, but he hadn’t expected it so soon; he had thought they would still have a few more years before Bel’s mental state got to this stage – he swore the boy still had a grasp on what was right and wrong and enough self-control, but he guessed he was wrong and Bel’s impulsive nature was only becoming more and more overpowering. 

Xanxus scowled.  He pointed to the chair in front of his desk. “Sit down, Trash.  We need to have a talk.”

“I’ll be back when I find Tsuna,” Squalo said as means of excusing himself.  He backed out of the office, knowing Xanxus was about to tear into Bel for what had happened, and he didn’t want to expose Fran to it; the kid was stressed enough without having to witness the rage Xanxus had in him. 

Squalo looked down at the kid in his arms.  His eyes softened; Fran’s arms were wrapped around his neck as if he were absolutely terrified, his face buried in the strong chest as he cried.  He shifted the kid so that he had a better hold on him, not willing to put Fran down any time soon; he was loud, but he cared deeply for the kids in his care – he wouldn’t be here if he didn’t, after all.    

Squalo kept his voice as soft as possible – which wasn’t very soft at all – as he tried to help.  “Voi, did he hurt you?”

Fran didn’t speak; he only nestled closer to the man.  He didn’t move until he felt Squalo stop, and he looked up when he heard Tsuna’s worried voice.

“What happened to him?”

Fran whimpered and tensed as he felt an extra set of hands on his body.  He clung tighter to Squalo for a second, too scared to let go of him, but the concern in the brunet’s voice had been genuine; did that mean Tsuna really _was_ different from the others?

The teal-haired male turned to look at the brunet who had taken him from Squalo and was now holding him to his chest.  He could see the brown eyes that watched him were filling with tears.  He blinked, unable to understand this; why would Tsuna cry over something that didn’t even happen to him?  No one else had ever cried over him and, if he cried over himself, it had always resulted in a punishment.

Fran reached up to rub at the tears that were now trailing down Tsuna’s face.  He couldn’t help but question the older boy’s motives.  “...Why are you crying...?”

Tsuna sniffed before he replied, nodding in appreciation at the now-retreating Squalo for bringing the child to him.  “...I...  I feel like it’s my fault this happened...”

Fran couldn’t understand this at all.  How was it Tsuna’s fault?  It was _his_ fault it had happened – just like it was his fault everything _else_ had happened.  “...I...”

Sawada knew what Fran was thinking, he carried the boy to the living room where he had been previously as he started explaining.  “I should have been taking care of you, but I was busy in town, and no one else had time on their hands.  We thought it would be okay for Bel to watch over you for just a few hours until someone’s schedule freed up, but...  I...  I’m so sorry...”

“...It wasn’t your fault...” Fran whispered, too tired to pick a fight.  He understood what it was like to blame himself over every little thing, and he didn’t want to do that to the brunet who seemed to like him somewhat; it didn’t feel right to him to let Tsuna shoulder the blame when it was clearly _his_ fault.  “...It...  It was mine...”

“No, it wasn’t! It was _never_ your fault!  Don’t blame yourself!”

Fran sighed but didn’t argue.  He closed his eyes when Tsuna finally walked into the living room, not wanting to know if anyone else was in there; he just wanted to be left alone with Tsuna, not in the mood to deal with anyone else.  He was tired and he had had enough.

To Fran’s disappointment, there were three other people in the living room; Lambo, Hayato and Takeshi.  Takeshi was sitting on the couch, playing with Lambo with a huge grin on his face.  Hayato was sprawled on the seats next to them while a cigarette hung out of his mouth as he watched the TV.  Three sets of eyes looked up when Fran coughed a painful-sounding cough.

“Tenth!” Hayato sat up at the sight of the brunet.  He wasn’t oblivious to Fran, and he couldn’t help but wonder what had happened.  He had a feeling Bel had done something; it wouldn’t be surprising if that were the case because he had always had a feeling that the other was unstable enough to try and sexually assault someone – it was just a matter of time before it happened, he knew.  “Tenth, what happened?  Is he why Squalo was shouting?”

“Yeah...” Tsuna lowered his voice as he addressed Takeshi, wondering if Hayato should be dismissed as well; he worried about telling the others what had happened to Fran because it was such a personal thing – but at the same time, they deserved to know the truth so they could help keep an eye on Bel.  “...Yamamoto, can you please take Lambo out of the living room and find Ryohei to keep an eye on for me?  Xanxus should know what’s come up but if he asks, tell him to talk to Squalo, okay?”

“Sure, Tsuna.” Takeshi’s dark eyes drifted to Fran, and the concern in them was clear; he was so kind-hearted, it would hurt him to not be able to do anything.  As he stood up with Lambo on his shoulder, he reached out to ruffle teal hair, trying to help in his own little way.  “See ya, Tsuna.”

“Tenth?” Hayato knew it wasn’t like Tsuna to be so worked up about something as to send others away.  He wanted to help his beloved Tsuna the way the other had helped him – without Tsuna, Hayato shuddered to think about where he would have been.  “Tenth, can I help?”

Tsuna smiled sadly, knowing how much Hayato wanted to be of use.  “Sure you can.  Can you please go and tell everyone I’m looking after Fran and to try and give us some space?  Make sure no one bothers us, okay?”

“Of course, Tenth!” Hayato saluted as if he had been given the most important mission in the world and took his orders seriously.  He left the living room, his undying loyalty to the brunet never wavering – if he had been told to keep people away, he would fight to the death and beyond to make sure his orders were fulfilled. 

Once they were alone, Tsuna started talking, knowing Fran deserved an explanation.  “Fran, I know this may be hard to understand, but I don’t think Bel was in his right mind when he did that.”

Fran lifted his head and stared into brown eyes with his own exhausted ones.  “...I... don’t understand...”

Tsuna twisted his hands nervously before he started trying to clarify.  “I mean... Bel was brought here a long time ago.  See, he... no one believed that he would get better, and they always gave up on him.  When he was little... he didn’t have a very nice life...  Maybe you can understand this, Fran.  His mother passed away in childbirth, so it was just him and his twin brother.  This might be very difficult to hear so if I’m upsetting you, tell me, but... have you noticed his obsession with blood and knives?”

“Fake prince is a psycho...” Fran mumbled in his way of agreeing.

“I don’t believe he was always that way, and if he had a better childhood he would have been a different boy,” Tsuna said gently.  “See, his twin brother was older than him, and... well, their father blamed Bel for his wife’s death as she had died giving birth to him.  His father would beat Bel and... and, well... he would... _touch_ him in places he should never have been touched.  It got to the point where Rasiel, Bel’s twin, picked up on his father’s hatred and started doing the same to Bel.  The abuse got worse…  There was penetration, and…  And serious… _serious_ physical assault…  He was all cut up from a knife when he was rescued…  We don’t know the exact circumstances, but we do know Bel killed his brother and father.  We think the abuse just got to him too much and he couldn’t handle it anymore.”

Fran _couldn’t_ feel sorry for Bel; while he himself had been touched in bad places and beaten as well, he had never tried to do the same to others or take someone else’s life.  Maybe Bel had been hurt, too, but that didn’t give him the right to take it out on Fran when he had _nothing_ to do with that.  “...”

“I just want you to understand that, because of his upbringing, Bel’s instability is triggered by blood.  Maybe it brings everything back to the surface – we won’t exactly know for sure - but we’ve established that, in his own little way, Bel is trying to protect himself.  He just doesn’t understand how to do it or how to control himself.  Maybe he’s like you in the sense that he’s scared as well.  Maybe he’s not as strong as he thinks he is and he’s trying to scare every potential danger away.  He doesn’t tell us anything so we can only make assumptions based on what we know and have seen.  And though what he did to you was _so very wrong,_ I don’t know if he was truly aware of what he was doing.  Bel sometimes… snaps…”

Fran shifted on Tsuna’s lap so that he was closer to the older male.  He whispered as tears started slipping down his cheeks.  “...I’m scared...  I hide it because I was taught to, but... what gives _him_ the right to take his stuff out on me...?  Haven’t I been hurt enough...?  Tsuna...?  He’s so selfish...  I just wish the pain would end...  I don’t like living with my memories...  It hurts knowing that when I just started to trust him, he...  He turned out to be just like everyone else...”

“I know...” Tsuna wrapped his arms around the boy, rocking him slowly.  “...I know...”

“...What did I do to be hurt like this...?” Fran’s eyes slipped closed as oblivion slowly claimed him.  He was vaguely aware of Tsuna whispering back to him but he couldn’t make the words out as he fell asleep.

Tsuna held the boy close for a few minutes more before he stood up and carried him out of the room.  He found Takeshi sitting in the dining room with Lambo, laughing as the boy ran around the room with a baseball, trying to keep it away from the young man. 

Takeshi and Lambo looked up at Tsuna’s entrance, waiting for the brunet to speak. 

“He’s sleeping,” Tsuna explained at the questioning silence.  “I...  I don’t know what to do with him, though...  I’m too scared to leave him alone in case Bel gets him...”

Takeshi tapped his chin before he smiled brightly.  “I know Mukuro and Chrome were going to go into town today.  Maybe you could let him sleep in their room and when he wakes up, they can take him to the park or something.”

Tsuna smiled sadly before he nodded, knowing it was a good idea; Mukuro was a responsible person and Chrome was so sweet.  He was sure the two would take care of the little boy so, heading out of the dining room and up the stairs, he could only hope they were willing to take on the responsibility of Fran.

It didn’t take long for Tsuna to climb the stairs and knock on the twins’ door.  “Mukuro?  Chrome?”

Chrome was the one to answer the door, with a slight blush on her face.  She was so very shy, and it was hard for her to talk to anyone other than her brother.  She bowed her head in submission as she backed away for her guardian to enter.

“Hello, Chrome.” Tsuna smiled.  He looked around the room and found Mukuro laying on his stomach with headphones over his head and his Walkman next to him as he read magazines with a peaceful smile on his face.  The brunet chuckled to himself, knowing the blue-haired male hadn’t even noticed him.  “Mukuro.”

Mukuro continued to hum to himself until he felt one side of his headphones being lifted.  He blinked and turned to face Tsuna.  “Oya, Tsunayoshi, did I do something wrong?”

“No, not at all, Mukuro.  I was just wondering if you and Chrome could look after Fran for a while.  See, he’s… been upset, and Yamamoto said that you and Chrome were going into town.  Could you let him sleep in here and take him with you when he wakes up?”

Mukuro sat up so he could get a better look at Fran.  He smiled at the child, feeling his brotherly side coming once more as he reached forward to take the kid himself.  “Of course, Tsunayoshi.”

“Thanks.” Tsuna ruffled spiky hair.  “Have fun in town, okay?  Be careful.”

Mukuro hummed in response.  The brunet turned around to leave the room, stopping only to pat Chrome’s shoulder in goodbye; he knew how she was uncomfortable with touch, so he always tried to keep it as gentle as he could.  “See you soon, Chrome.”

As expected, Chrome didn’t reply; she just bowed her head further and backed away.  Tsuna didn’t mind; the girl’s anxiety levels were high enough as it was without having it pointed out to her.

Tsuna sighed in relief once he had left the room; he knew Mukuro and Chrome would be patient and caring towards Fran, so he wasn’t concerned with putting the kid into their care for a few hours; they were both too sweet once they had learned to trust someone.  He made his way back downstairs to find Hayato, knowing the other would want to be back by his side like an overly-attached puppy.

Hopefully things would work out and Fran would be happy here – not just Fran, but Bel, too.  All the kids who had been brought here.  They all needed second chances in life – especially Bel who had been beaten and raped daily for years until he had gone insane from the abuse, seeking the only way out he could see.

 


	6. Chapter 6

Mukuro and Chrome didn’t wait too long for the kid on their bed to wake up; it had taken perhaps twenty minutes at the most.  Fran was disorientated, and his eyes were heavy with sleep as he glanced around at his surroundings warily.  He flinched and pulled away when Mukuro approached, almost as if he was expecting a beating – he was probably _was_ , Mukuro thought sadly.

“Hello, little one.” Mukuro offered a smile to show he meant no harm.  “Good of you to wake up.”

Fran looked down at his lap.  His face almost immediately took on his usual expressionless look, and Mukuro hated to know that it was directed at him; he was a lot of things, but he wasn’t about to hurt this little kid he could see was so much like him when he was younger – hell, even now, he could still see himself in Fran. 

Mukuro knelt down next to the bed and reached out to run his hand through teal hair.  His smile was as soft as ever as his heterochromatic eyes looked into Fran’s.  “Chrome and I are going into town and Tsunayoshi believed it would be a good idea for you to come with us.  Would you mind getting dressed into some clean clothes?”

Fran froze at the suggestion for several reasons.  One; he was being asked to take his clothes off, and two; getting new clothing would require him going back to Bel’s room, and three; he didn’t want to risk any sort of run-in with Bel if he could help it.  He tried to convey his discomfort as he got rid of his façade and whispered, “Can I just wear these…?”

Chrome was next to talk, trying to help the little boy understand.  She could sense his nervousness and she understood where he was coming from; though neither she nor her twin brother had suffered sexual abuse like she knew Bel and Fran had, they both had been used in horrendous experiments until they were rescued by police.  She could understand why he was so afraid of other people; she herself was still very anxious of others. 

“Fran…” Chrome pushed the digits of her fingers together shyly as she avoided eye contact.  “…M-maybe… if it’s Bel you’re afraid of… M-mukuro or myself could get your clothes for you…?”

Fran wasn’t sure what to make of this; was there a plan behind her offer?  Maybe while he was still in their room, they would find Bel and bring him there?  Or… maybe they were just… being genuinely nice…? 

Though Fran found it difficult to believe such a thing, he couldn’t deny the fact that the people he had met here – besides Bel, as much as it hurt – had truly been different from everyone else; no one else had ever stepped in during his torment as they had only ever _joined_ in, nor did anyone ever let him cry or talk about his feelings with him. 

If Fran trusted these two… what would happen? 

 _What have you got to lose, Fran?_ The boy thought to himself as his eyes slipped close. _You have nothing.  No family or friends, a place to call home – not even a single_ possession.  _What else can they take from you they haven’t already?  Everything else was already gone._

As if she sensed the younger’s dilemma, Chrome turned to her brother and smiled shyly.  “P-perhaps you should get his clothes, Mukuro…  I’ll stay with him.”

Mukuro nodded, knowing his sister was right; it was probably better that he, as another male, was the one to leave – he could only imagine the distrust Fran had for men as a population. “I will be right back, Fran.”

Fran watched warily as the older boy left, trying to steady his racing heart; he had no idea what to expect, and it was only stressing him further – what if the other brought Bel back with him?!  Anything but that…

Neither Fran nor Chrome said a word until Mukuro returned a few minutes later with a change of clothing slung over his arm.  He handed them to Fran slowly, trying to make himself seem less threatening than he was probably already viewed as; he could understand if Fran was terrified of him; he had been that way when he was the kid’s age, after all.   

“Would you like for us to leave the room while you change?” Mukuro offered. He backed away as he saw the fright in those wide teal orbs; he didn’t want to scare the younger any more than he already was.  He sighed inwardly when Fran nodded; he wasn’t offended by the younger’s mistrust of them because what was _really_ bothering him was that the kid was suffering on the inside.  “Okay; we will just be downstairs getting our money from Squalo.  We will be back very soon.”

Fran tilted his head as he watched the twins depart.  Money?  They had _money?_ Since when did kids in orphanages have _money?_ Never before had he heard of orphans having money, and he was honestly feeling a little jealous and left out; he wanted money, too... 

 _What am I missing…?_ Fran thought to himself sadly as he unbuttoned his shirt.  _…Why am I.. so surprised by the things in this place…?  It’s clear it’s different to the other orphanages here, but… I feel so out of place…  I don’t belong here – I belong back where people can hurt me…  It’s all I’m good for, right?  What use am I here…?  Even_ Bel _can see that, trying to put me back in my place…_

The boy was slow as he changed his clothes, the paranoia of hidden cameras making him feel as if he was going to throw up.  He kept stopping to glance around him and search desperately for the familiar glint of a lens; he had never been allowed to dress himself without having a camera filming his every move.  The fact that he couldn’t find any broke the boy’s heart. 

“I don’t understand…” Fran whispered to himself as he wiped at his wet eyes.  He tried his hardest to keep his emotions in check, but the overwhelming sense of being so _unlike_ the others was driving him crazy – if _they_ didn’t have camera in their rooms…  If _they_ weren’t used like _he_ had been…  Why was he so _different_ from everyone else...?   “Why…  Why do I…?”

Fran dropped the old pair of jeans he wore previously to the ground as he sat down.  He leant against the end of Chrome’s bed as he hugged his knees to his chest and buried his face against his knees while his tiny body quivered as he fought against his tears. 

The door opened slowly before Mukuro’s hesitant voice answered, almost as if he was wary of walking in on a half-dressed Fran.  “Are you dressed, little one?”

When he got no reply, Mukuro bit his lip and poked his head around the door.  His stomach dropped when he saw the way Fran was sitting, knowing something had happened.  He turned to Chrome and whispered for her to wait outside so that he could approach the child and try to help.

“Did something happen?”Mukuro asked as he sat next to the little boy.  He was patient, not minding if Fran needed to take his time before he could express himself; he knew what it was like to lock everything away and refuse help, after all.

Fran shook his head.  He bit down on his lip as he turned tear-filled eyes to heterochromatic ones.  “…It…  It’s because _nothing_ happened…”

The blue-haired teen couldn’t understand what Fran meant, but he didn’t have to ask; Fran continued speaking.

“…Why… do you not… have cameras in your room…?”

Mukuro’s mouth opened in a silent gasp as he understood what was behind those words. He reached out to place his hands as gently on frail shoulders as he could, and he kept his voice low as he replied.  “People filmed you, didn’t they…?”

Fran nodded.  His voice became monotone again as ifs feeling emotion for this topic was too hard for him.  “…They always had cameras in my room…  They made me… watch myself…”

Mukuro closed his eyes at this information.  He wanted to pull the younger into a hug, but he knew it was probably too much for the distressed child; someone who went through what Fran had shouldn’t _want_ to be touched – at least, no so soon, and by people he didn’t know.  “I understand…”

“…I can still feel their hands on my body…”Fran whispered.  “…I hate it…  I feel so dirty…”

“…May I ask…?”Mukuro’s voice was gentler than it had been in a long time towards anyone other than Chrome.  “…What did they do to you…?”

“They always touched me… down _there…_ and used my mouth…  They hurt me…  And hated me and used me…”

Mukuro hummed softly.  He was sincere as he spoke; his heart went out to this damaged little boy next to him.  “I am sorry, little one.  I will not ask any more about it.  Let’s go now, okay?  I will buy you an ice cream with our money.”

Fran blinked at these words.  He knew what ice cream was, but he had never had it before; it was something he had always wanted to try, but never believed he would get to.  “…Did… you say… ice cream…?”

Mukuro noticed the disbelief and confusion in Fran’s voice; had he never had ice cream before?  Or even offered some?  He nodded, hoping the boy would believe him.  “Chrome and I always get ice cream when we go into town.”

Fran smiled softly as trust and excitement soon overpowered his negative thoughts; Mukuro seemed to be a lot like Tsuna and Dino, such a vast contrast to the kind of people who was used to.

Mukuro smiled back, hoping he had gotten through to Fran.  He turned around to walk out of the room, knowing Fran would follow, but he was stopped by a tug on the hem of his shirt.  He looked down and found Fran’s tiny hand wrapped in his shirt, looking uncertainly up at the teenager.

“What is it?”Mukuro asked in a soft tone as he knelt before the boy.  He blinked when the little boy slipped his hand into his, but he soon understood what Fran wanted; the child wanted to hold hands.  “Kufufu~  I see.  Let’s go, then.  We will get some ice cream first.  Do you have anywhere in particular you want to go?”

Fran shook his head.  He had always wondered what it felt like to have someone hold his hand and, now that he was finally experiencing it, he had to admit it was so very comforting, a warmth so unlike the one that caused him pain engulfing his hand, and it made him feel better than he could ever remember feeling. 

The teal-haired child didn’t know how to convey it aloud, but he didn’t care where he went as long as he could keep his hand in Mukuro’s.  Unbeknownst to him, Mukuro was content with the physical contact too, feeling as if he was able to protect someone the way no one had wanted to protect him or Chrome when they were younger.

**_~~With Bel~~_ **

Bel lay on his bed with Mammon on his chest as he glared up at the wall as if it was the cause for all his misery.  He had finally been let out of Xanxus’ office after hours of being yelled at, and he was glad to be by himself; he didn’t know how much longer he could keep his sanity in this fucking place.  He wanted to leave, to go somewhere he wouldn’t have to deal with _anyone,_ but he couldn’t do that because every fucking time he _tried_ to run away, Hibari would have the entire fucking police force out searching for him before he could get too far.

Bel hated this place and he hated his _life_.   

“I hate it here so fucking much, Mammon…” Bel whispered to his frog. “I fucking hate it…  I want to leave already…!  It’s no place for a prince here!  And that stupid kid…  It’s all _his_ fault!  It’s clear Squalo and Xanxus are playing favourites with him!  And I bet I know why…  It’s because _he_ wasn’t _raped and beaten!_ Mammon, it’s not the _prince’s_ fault his family hated him…  I didn’t ask for this…!  I just… I just didn’t want _them_ to hurt me anymore…  I wanted it to stop…  It hurt so much…  But then… that _stupid_ kid comes, and he…  He’s _so special_ because he only got the joys of giving blowjobs…  He doesn’t understand what it’s like to have _everything_ taken from you by your fucking _family…!_ He’s so fucking lucky to have been left his virginity, and he doesn’t even appreciate how lucky he is…  I hate it here and I hate _him,_ Mammon…”

Bel sighed and reached up to wipe at his eyes before he placed his frog on the bedside table so that he could roll onto his side.  He closed his eyes and pulled the blankets over his skinny body, hoping for sleep to claim him so he didn’t have to think any longer; though he’d never admit it to _anyone,_ not even himself, he was _jealous_ of Fran and he’d give anything to have been in the other’s position – maybe his life wouldn’t have been perfect, but he would still have his _dignity._   


	7. Chapter 7

“How do you get money…?” Fran found himself asking Mukuro as he stood at the back of the ice cream parlour with the older male while Chrome ordered their treats.  He was looking up into Mukuro’s mismatched eyes, honestly too curious about how ‘money’ worked to remain quiet.

“Squalo pays us for working,” Rokudo explained calmly.  When he saw the boy’s eyes widen, he could only imagine how his words had been misconstrued; he should have been more careful with this fragile child.  He patted teal hair as he clarified, “If we help clean the house or do the gardening with Squalo, we get rewarded.  It is nothing bad.  Chrome and I did the dishes for Lussuria last night because we wanted to, so Squalo gave us money to spend in town as a reward.”

Fran relaxed the body that had unconsciously tensed.  “…Oh…”

Mukuro chuckled quietly.  He was glad the younger had calmed down; he hadn’t meant to frighten the child, but he had to remind himself that someone with Fran’s history could be easily triggered.  “Let’s go get a table, okay?  Chrome will be with us in a moment.”

Fran quickly reached out and joined his hand with the bigger one.  He followed closely behind Mukuro and glanced emotionlessly at the people around them.  He was wary of them, not trusting those strangers to stay where they were.  He unconsciously moved closer to the older male as he sought out Mukuro’s protection, and the teenager couldn’t help but laugh and wrap his arm around his new friend; if Fran wanted someone to look after him, he would be happy to do so.    

Fran chose a table in the corner of the ice cream parlour away from everyone else.  He pushed himself close beside the older male on the bench seat, leaving Chrome to sit across the table on the single chair.  It was nothing against Chrome, but at the moment, he felt more comfortable with Mukuro than he did her, and it was the older male he wanted to be next to right now. 

Mukuro didn’t mind the younger’s actions; he knew that Chrome would understand, and as long as Fran was okay, that was all that mattered.  He looked down at the other when he felt Fran fidgeting beside him.  He tilted his head slightly.  “Are you okay, little one?”

Fran nodded slowly.  He forced his emotionless expression to stay as he said quietly, “I’m… trying to understand…”

“Hmm?” Mukuro smiled gently.  “What is there to understand – if I may ask?”

“…” Fran bit the inside of his cheek as he tried to convey his thoughts.  “…You and Chrome don’t hurt me…  The others don’t, either…  But why is Bel just like everyone else…?”

Mukuro couldn’t help but feel angry at Bel for treating the boy the way he had, but he knew the circumstances surrounding his personality.  He didn’t judge the blond; Bel had been broken from his own personal hell – a hell that even now, he _still_ couldn’t escape.  Just because he had been taken away from what had made him like this and had people trying to help him didn’t mean he was going to be fine; the boy had never known a second of kindness and only knew violence, so even though he was now showered with love and affection, he still couldn’t understand it; all it had ever seemed to do was cause him pain to be treated with gentleness and so he withdrew even further from everyone.  “What Bel did was wrong, but he cannot help it.  That is why Xanxus and Squalo took him; because they knew he might never be put back together and did not want him to be mistreated any more than he already has been.  I believe you are familiar with his history now?”

“Yes…”

“Bel hurts, just like the rest of us who came to the Varia.  He just… shows it in different ways.”

“Does that mean you and Chrome hurt, too?”

Mukuro nodded.  “Very much so.”

“…” Fran looked down at his lap as he saw Chrome approaching them with three cones of ice cream in her pale hands.  “…Is it bad that… I feel like…  I can trust you…?”

Mukuro ruffled Fran’s hair affectionately.  “Not at all.  It just means you feel safe with me, and I am glad for that.”

“…What if I… I think I’m feeling more than just… being scared all the time…?”

“Then that is a good thing.  No one wants to go through life always scared.”

“…Will I be in trouble…?” The fear in Fran’s voice was evident in this sentence.

“For what?  Being human?  Fran, if anyone ever taught you any differently, they are disgusting filth.  It is _okay_ to have emotions and to _show_ them.”

A single tear dripped down Fran’s cheek at these words.  He nodded, humming softly to himself as he accepted the chocolate ice cream Chrome handed to him. 

“Are you okay, Fran?” Chrome asked in a voice softer than Fran had heard it before. 

“He is okay, Chrome,” Mukuro said as he accepted his own treat from his sister.  “We were just talking.”

“A-ah.” Chrome understood, and she didn’t pry; it wasn’t her business, after all.  She sat down across from the two boys with a shy small smile on her face as she ate the dairy product.  

There was silence between the three for a few minutes until Chrome noticed Fran hadn’t touched his ice cream.  “Do you not like it, Fran?”

Fran blinked before he looked up.  His eyes were brimming with tears and his voice was choked as he explained, “…N-no one’s ever given me an ice cream before…”

Mukuro was the next to speak.  “That is because you were with _animals_ before.  We are your friends, so of course we are going to give you ice cream.”

Fran sniffed before he nodded and gave a muffled, “Thank you...” 

Chrome and Mukuro smiled at the boy before they returned to their treats.  They watched from the corners of their eyes as Fran took a tentative lick before he smiled.  They could see the boy’s shoulders slowly relaxing with each lick, and a little bit of life came to those empty emerald orbs; in the here and now, Fran was finally relaxing like he should be at his young age. 

Minutes passed in comfortable silence before the grey skies opened and pelted the earth with heavy rain as thunder roared and lightning flashed.  Fran seemed oblivious to this as he continued licking up the last of his now-melted treat; he was too focused on the chocolate-flavoured ice cream to care about what was going on outside.  The only thing that snapped him out of his thoughts was when Mukuro’s hands rested on his shoulders.  He turned his head upwards to look into heterochromatic eyes.

“We should hurry and get home before the storm gets worse,” Mukuro said. 

Fran frowned and looked at his half-eaten treat.  He sighed before he reluctantly placed it down on the napkin it had come in; he had really been enjoying that ice cream, too…

Chrome frowned.  She could feel her heart tug at her chest as she saw the dejection on the younger’s face; Fran obviously didn’t realise that he could bring the ice cream with him.  She picked the cone back up and held it out to Fran as she explained, “Just because we’re leaving the store doesn’t mean you can’t bring it back to Varia.”

Fran’s eyes lit up at these words.  He accepted the cone that was handed back to him with a tenderness that Chrome _knew_ showed just how wary the kid was towards others; it was as if he could barely believe he was actually being given something and expected it to be snatched away just before he could grab it – as if the ice cream she was trying to give back to him was nothing more than something to taunt him with. 

“…” Fran looked down at his ragged shoes as he felt his fingertips graze the cone.  “…T-thank you…”

“That’s okay, Fran.”  Fran was starting to like Chrome; she was just so different to the kinds of people he used to know.  “Let’s get going.”

Mukuro hummed in agreement as he shrugged his green jacket off his body so that he could wrap it around Fran’s body.  He smiled when Fran looked up at him in confusion.  “It is cold and wet outside, and you are sick. We have to keep you warm or else you will get sicker.”

Fran’s tiny hand reached up to grip at the jacket.  His eyes were wide and confusion was clear in them; he couldn’t understand what had just happened, and when he tried to think about it, it only hurt his head.  His wary eyes studied the two carefully as he grasped his ice cream cone tightly; what did he say?  What did he do?  Too many questions but not enough answers.

As Mukuro guided the smaller two from the ice cream parlour, Fran noticed for the first time that the twins were both wearing school uniforms; did they go to school? 

“Do you go to school, Mukuro?”

“Kufufu~” Mukuro smiled down at the younger.  “Chrome and I go for a few days a week.  Some of the other kids go to school as well, but none of us go for the full week.”

“Have you ever been to school?” Chrome asked.

Fran shook his head.  “Never.  …What is it like?”

“It is… interesting, kufufu~”

Fran tried to imagine what this ‘school’ thing could be like.  He knew that school was where kids went to learn things as some of the other orphanages he had been too would send most of the orphans to school, but other than that; he really didn’t know anything else. 

The child quickly gave up on thinking about school when he suddenly realised how exhausted he was; he hadn’t thought that going to get ice cream would take so much out of him, but here he was, feeling as if he were about to fall asleep on the spot.  He slumped against Mukuro.  “I’m tired…”

Chrome was quick to act.  She picked Fran up in her arms held him close.  It took only a minute for him to fall asleep with his head resting against Chrome’s chest; never before had he known the comfort of someone’s arms around him as he slept, and he hadn’t realised just how easily he could fall asleep until he actually felt at peace for once.    

“He’s cute.” Chrome smiled up at her brother.  The older teen nodded in agreement.   

**~~Varia~~**

Bel was just about asleep before a hand started shaking him gently.  He groaned and pulled his pillow over his head, mumbling that he wanted to sleep.

“Bel, it’s time for dinner,” Tsuna explained.  He was a little concerned; Lussuria had been in the room half-an-hour ago telling Bel that it was time for their meals, but the blond hadn’t left his bed – usually Bel was the first one at the dinner table as he had a healthy appetite and was a bottomless pit.  “Come on.  You have to eat.”

“The prince isn’t hungry…”

“Bel…” Tsuna knew the blond well enough to know that something was bothering Bel; the boy _never_ turned down food.  “Bel, if you need to talk…”

“I’m fine…” Bel sighed before he pushed himself into a sitting position.  He was exhausted; Tsuna could see that much.  “Leave the prince alone...”

“Bel, come down and eat, please…”

Bel ignored Tsuna’s comment and instead raised his hands in order to look at them.  His hidden eyes closed fearfully as he started rubbing his hands against his striped shirt, as if he was trying to scrub something off them that Tsuna couldn’t see. 

The brunet had seen this before; Bel was losing it.  He had to do something before the blond snapped and started hurting himself or someone else.  He reached out as gently as he could possibly could so that he could grab frail wrists and pull them away from Bel’s stomach.  “What’s hurting you, Bel?”

“The blood…  The blood…” Bel whimpered as he tried to tug his wrists free.  “There’s so much blood…”

“Bel, you’re not _there_ anymore…” Tsuna knew what was happening; Bel was reliving the time he had killed his only surviving family.  “Bel, you’re here at the Varia.  Listen to me.”

“There’s blood all over me…” Bel’s body started shaking in fear.  “What have I done…?  I just wanted them to stop…  I wanted them to stop…  Stop…  Stop…!  _Stop touching me!  Let me go!”_

Tsuna released pale wrists as he pulled Bel’s body against his and pinned the younger’s arms against Bel’s side; if he didn’t restrain the boy, he was going get scratched, hit and punched during the blond’ bout of insanity.  “Bel, it’s okay.  It’s okay.  It’s Tsuna.  _Tsuna._ No one’s going to hurt you.”

“ _Get off me!  I don’t want this!”_

Bel’s screams of panic grew louder, and he struggled with all the strength he could muster to get free; to him, it wasn’t Tsuna who was holding him down, but the person he was most terrified of.  What he was seeing was his father and his twin brother, hurting him in ways no one could ever want.  He saw the blood – both his and that of his family’s – all over his naked body and the bed sheets he had been tied down onto. Most of all, the blood was caked onto his own hands as two corpses lay before him.  He could still see all the wounds that had faded into nasty scars he would have for the rest of his life, and he swore the agony he once hadn’t gone a day without had returned with a vengeance, sending shockwaves all through his body.    

Tsuna heard a small whimper from the doorway behind them. When he turned his head, he could see Fran was staring into the room with wide eyes as Mukuro’s school jacket hanging over his frail body; had Bel woken the child from his sleep?    

“Fran, it’s okay,” Tsuna called.  “I need you to go find Xanxus or Squalo.  It’s important  Tell them it’s about Bel.”

Fran nodded.  He hurried to find the two adults; as he stared at Bel’s terrified form, he knew that was how he himself had looked so many times, and seeing the blond like that… though he would never forgive the teen for what he had tried to force him into… he knew what it was like to be lost and scared. 

 _Maybe…_ Fran thought to himself as he walked down the stairwell, _maybe I should help...  I have Mukuro and Chrome…  I have_ friends _now…  But Bel doesn’t have any…_

After finding Squalo outside smoking a cigarette and explaining to the man what he had seen, Fran knew he had to do _something_ after seeing the concern cross Squalo’s face before the man ran up the stairs.  He could still hear Bel’s screaming and, when he walked into the dining room to see everyone with their heads down as if they didn’t want to hear it, he understood Bel had _nobody_.  No one his own age wanted to help – it was left up to the adults who couldn’t relate to him.

Fran wasn’t hungry; he could only push away the plate he had barely even _glanced_ at so that he could go back upstairs.  He didn’t know what he could do for the distressed teenager, but surely there was _something_. 

But despite his thought process, when he finally got back to his bedroom, he could only stand by the door and listen to Squalo and Tsuna trying to soothe the hysterical boy before he went back downstairs; he couldn’t deal with that – he was just too young to be able to handle such intense emotions from the other.    

 

 


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N This chapter contains flashbacks of trauma topics such as sexual abuse and death.  If any of this upsets you, you’re welcome to skip the flashback which is marked in italics.**

Fran sat uncomfortably on Mukuro’s bed as Tsuna stepped into the room.  Bel’s screams had since stopped, and he hadn’t heard much else from the bedroom.  He didn’t know what had happened; all he knew was that he was just glad he couldn’t hear the other screaming anymore; he had never heard a sound that sent chills down his spine the way those horror-stricken cries had.    

The teal-haired kid fidgeted before he spoke.  “...Is Bel-senpai okay now...?”

Tsuna nodded.  “He’s sleeping.  Squalo will sit with him for the rest of the night.  Have you eaten your dinner?”

Fran shook his head.  “Not hungry...” 

The brunet didn’t want to force the kid to eat, but Fran was as thin as a rake; surely if his eating habits were left unattended, he would become sick.  “What if I find you something small to nibble on?”

The younger shook his head again as he repeated what he had just said.  His voice sounded flat, but Tsuna could pick up the undertones of annoyance.  “Not hungry.”

Sawada sighed before he nodded.  “Okay.  Fran.  Mukuro and Chrome are downstairs watching the TV, so if you’d rather sleep in their room, you’ll need to talk to them.  Otherwise Squalo will be sitting in your room so nothing will happen if you’d rather sleep in your own bed.”

Fran closed his eyes, wishing Tsuna would stop talking; he only wanted to know if Bel was okay – not about anything else.  “You talk too much, Tuna-Fish.”

Tsuna’s eyes widened at these words; did that kid just call him a _tuna...?_  The kid hardly spoke to anyone and now he’s started being bratty...  Already he’s spent too much time around Bel and had the blond’s bad attitude rub off on him.  He honestly didn’t know how to reply to that as he didn’t want to scold the boy, so he just sighed and turned around so he could leave the room.

Fran curled up on Mukuro’s bed as he became lost in thought about Bel; he needed to see for himself if the other was okay because he couldn’t just take Tsuna’s word for it.  He made his way to his own bedroom and pushed the door open, taking note of a small nightlight in the corner of the room he hadn’t seen until now.  It illuminated Bel’s sleeping face, showing signs of distress even in unconsciousness.  Squalo sat beside the bed on a chair, with his arms crossed against his chest as he stared out of the window.

“I’m going to bed.” Fran didn’t wait for Squalo to reply before he crossed to his side of the room and climbed into his bed; he honestly didn’t care much for the long-haired man, and he wasn’t going to admit any time soon that he was making up an excuse to be in the same room as Bel to keep an eye on the blond; he had already exerted too much of himself by asking Tsuna if his roommate was okay, and no one else needed to know that he was concerned. 

Squalo nodded, despite not paying much attention to what the youngest had said; he was too busy worrying about Bel to care much about what Fran had to say because as much as he would deny it, he was quite fond of the self-proclaimed prince, and it was always stressful whenever Bel’s trauma played up like this.

Fran curled up under his blankets and put his back to Squalo and Bel.  He didn’t know how long he had laid there for, but just as he had started drifting off into sleep, he was brought back to reality by a frightened mumble on the other side of the room.  He listened closely, knowing it had come from Bel. 

“No...” Bel made a pained moan.  Fran could hear his body tossing and turning in bed, testimony to just how terrifying his nightmares were for him.  “...Stop it...  I...  It hurts...!”

“Bel, it’s just a dream.” Squalo was speaking now, Fran could hear.  “Relax.  It’s okay.”

“It hurts!  F-father...  N-no more...!”

At these words, Fran wondered if he and Bel were truly similar; what he had been forced to do hadn’t exactly hurt – it was just uncomfortable and hard to breathe – but whatever the blond had been through must have been much worse if the boy was like this.  Could he even understand in the first place...? 

Fran rolled around to look at Bel and found Squalo was now sitting on the bed beside the blond so that he could wipe at Bel’s face with a handkerchief.

“Bel, it’s just a dream,” the gardener repeated.  “You’re safe here. You’re safe.”

From the shine of the nightlight, Fran could see tears trailing down Bel’s face and staining the white material of the pillow beneath his head.  The boy looked so distraught even in his sleep, and the teal-haired male couldn’t help but feel pity; even _he_ had never had nightmares like _that_.    

Fran closed his eyes and tried to go to sleep; there was no point in him staying awake watching the other because there was nothing he could do about it anyway.  He laid back down and pulled the blankets over his head as he tried to block out the sound of Bel crying.  However, even in his dreams he was haunted by those agonised sounds, and his stomach churned at the knowledge that Bel had suffered more than he.

**_~~Bel~~_ **

_Just like countless times before, Bel’s tiny eight-year-old body was trapped beneath his father’s much larger one.  He thrashed beneath the crushing weight and tried to use all of the strength he had as he pushed against the man’s naked chest, but he was powerless; all he could do was scream and beg and cry as he felt agony overwhelm him._

_“Stop it, Father!” Bel’s scream echoed around the room, but he knew that if anyone could hear him, they didn’t care to help him; he screamed all the time and no one had ever come to help him.  He was hysterical when he felt his twin brother crawling onto the bed beside him, knowing that there was going to be more suffering than usual; his brother hated him just as much as their father did.  “It hurts!  I hate it!  Please!  Stop!”_

_Bel cried harder when a large hand slapped his face and left a red mark in its wake; he knew it was going to be another bruise for his collection, but what did it matter?  The only two people who would see it were his brother and father because no one else ever saw him in the closet he lived in.  He could feel Rasiel pressing his crotch against his face, and he braced himself for the act that always made him sick in the end_

_“You little slut,” the man snarled as he wrapped a hand around the boy’s throat.  “I should kill you right now.  It’s your fault your mother died!  You’re a useless piece of shit that should never have been born!”_

_As Bel’s thrashing increased once his oxygen was cut off, the sticky puddle he was laying in became wetter; the deep lacerations his father had inflicted upon him prior to this opened further, spilling out enough blood to make him feel like he was going to pass out._

_Just when Bel felt like he couldn’t take it anymore, he caught sight of the bloodied knife laying within arm’s reach and waiting to be used on him again.  He couldn’t remember grabbing that knife, and he had no memory of what he had done with it – all he knew was that when the black haze disappeared, he was covered in the blood of his family as the two lay dead on the floor with stab wounds all over their bodies._

_Bel’s eyes widened behind his long bangs as he stared at the blood on his hands.  Tears dripped down his cheeks as he cried loudly, and he reached up to grab at his head as he screamed louder than he ever had before when he became overwhelmed by the terror and confusion he should_ never _have been forced to feel – but at the same time, he could feel almost_ joyful _at what he had done, and knowing that never again would he have to suffer by_ their _hands again._

_The shock of what had happened drove Bel to pick the knife back up and join his family on the floor.  Throughout the agony his body was going through, he still let out screams full of anguish as he started bringing the knife down on his brother’s corpse, over and over and over again until there was nothing left.  His thoughts were blurred, and he didn’t know what was going through his head; all he knew was that, no matter how hard he tried, slicing through his own skin wasn’t enough to stop himself from feeling those horrid touches on his fragile body._

_The last thing he remembered was the police coming to take him away from that bloodstained room._

Bel screamed as he shot upright in his bed.  Tears rolled down his cheeks as his body shook in horror.  All he could see was red.  Red all over the walls, the bed – all over _himself._ There was blood everywhere, and if he looked hard enough, he was certain he could see the outlines of his family’s body on the floor, as dead as the day he had killed them. 

Squalo tried to lay his charge back down in the bed but Bel only screamed louder at the touch and shoved at the man, cowering away from all physical contact.  He was barely conscious of the teal-haired child who was watching him from the bed opposite; all he knew was the terror.

Fran watched with tired eyes as Squalo struggled to lay Bel back down for a few minutes before he reached over onto the bedside table and grabbed a syringe that had been left there.  His eyes widened as he watched the gardener inject the boy with the syringe, but he understood once he saw that Bel’s struggles were weakening; he had been given something like that once when he was at the hospital after being taken away from his old home because he hadn’t been able to relax properly.  He watched as Bel finally collapsed back onto the bed in a weak, murmuring mess.

Squalo looked distressed as he pulled the covers back over the body.  He ran his hand through blond hair and sighed; what he wouldn’t do to be able to take away all of this boy’s pain and suffering.  He didn’t stay for much longer; he waited until Bel had quietened down before he stood up and left the room; it always took a toll on his emotional health whenever things like this happened, and he knew he needed to look after himself, too.

Fran stared at the door for a few minutes before he stood up and tiptoed to Bel’s quivering body.  He said nothing as he climbed into the bed and curled up against the boy; he didn’t know what had led to him doing this, but he had done it anyway.  Bel gasped slightly as arms wrapped around him, and though he was tense at first, he soon relaxed into the hold; no one had ever held him like this before.  In an exhausted tone, he whispered, “Froggy...”

Bel finally closed his eyes once he heard Fran’s breathing even out, and he soon fell fast asleep in the arms of the child he didn’t know if he trusted or not.  

 


	9. Chapter 9

When Belphegor awoke the next morning, he was surprised to find a warm bundle pressed up against his chest.  He glanced down through his thick bangs and frowned slightly as he noticed Fran in his arms.  Anger surged through him at this and, without a second thought, he shoved the sleeping boy from his bed; how _dare_ a peasant get so close to him?  If he still had his knives, he would have been sure to jam at least one where it hurt most.

Fran, who had woken at the harsh push, whimpered as he fell from the bed.  He glanced up at the lump beneath the blankets he knew was Bel; the boy had pulled them over him as if to hide from something – or someone – he didn’t want to face.    

“Bel-senpai...” Fran sighed before he stood up and left the room.  It hurt that he had been rejected so cruelly but, at the same time, what else could he have expected?  For Bel to be _happy_ about waking up with Fran? 

Fran shook his head and left the room so that he could go back to Mukuro; now that he had gotten to know the twins, he felt comfortable enough to spend his time with the older teenagers.  When he stood at their bedroom door, he knocked softly against the hardwood before he pushed it open without waiting for an answer; he didn’t yet completely understand politeness, but he _had_ worked out that the adults here knocked on the bedroom doors before they went in.  As he stepped into the room, he found that Mukuro was still fast asleep in his bed while Chrome was sitting up, yawning as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes.    

“What time is it, Fran?” Chrome had awoken to the knock on the door.    

“I don’t know.” Fran’s eyes were downcast as he walked closer to the girl’s bed.  “Bel-senpai kicked me out of the room...”

Chrome smiled sadly as she nodded, knowing she should have expected such a thing from the violent blond; Bel had never liked people in his room in the first place, so it wasn’t surprising he had done that.  She wrapped her arms around Fran’s fragile figure after he pulled himself onto her lap.  “How about we go get some breakfast?”

Fran glanced at Mukuro before looking back at Chrome.  “But what about Mukuro?”

“He’ll be fine.  He’ll eat when he’s ready.”

Fran nodded.  He entwined his hand with Chrome’s.  “Okay.”

Chrome offered a shy smile.  She was glad Fran had agreed; he hated to think he could be left alone to overthink about what Bel had done. 

**_~~XX~~_ **

Back in Bel’s bedroom, said boy was still tangled in his blankets as he laid on his side and stared at his wall, deep in thought.  He felt frustrated, and perhaps a little scared – but why would he scared?  He wasn’t scared of some tiny little _brat_! 

 _Stupid peasant thinking he can sleep in the same bed as the prince..._ Bel grit his teeth at these thoughts.  _If he comes close again, I’ll make_ sure _he knows the prince values his personal space.  Who does he think he is?  I should go after him and kill him right now._

Bel could feel himself hardening at the thought of spilling the teal-haired child’s blood.  He never had been able to work out just why the only things that seemed to arouse him was blood, but he didn’t care enough to understand; as long as it wasn’t _his_ blood being spilt, he would jack off as much as he wanted to thoughts he knew were so _very_ wrong.  He remembered Squalo once telling him it was most likely his previous abuse as a child that had messed his mind up so badly, but he didn’t care if the other was right or wrong all that mattered was that _he_ was the dominant one for once, and _he_ was in control – _he_ wasn’t going to be held down on his back and raped over and over and over again; not anymore. 

The boy let out a small moan as he recalled his own abuse but fantasised about Fran in his position instead.  He licked his lips as he imaged the younger male, beaten and cut up how _he_ used to be, and conjuring up what he imagined the other’s screams would sound like, he couldn’t help but slip his hand into the hem of his pants so that he could take hold of himself.  He moaned louder this time, but he didn’t try and stifle his sounds; he didn’t care who heard him.  He pictured Fran crying as he pleaded for the twisted human who had called himself a father to stop.  The blood he imagined leaking from Fran’s backside was enough to draw droplets of pre-cum from Bel’s tip, and when he listened to the gagging the child made as his mouth was stuffed full, he dragged his hand harder and faster along himself.

Sweat beaded against Bel’s forehead as he felt his stomach twist and coil.  His moans became almost deafening for himself, and he whimpered and arched his back against his own touch.  One may have thought it strange he could touch himself in such a manner after his childhood, but Bel didn’t think that way; he had been warped enough from the abuse to only be able to get off on violent thoughts, so it didn’t make a difference to him whether or not he touched himself to know he was _different_ from the other kids at the Varia.

Bel was smart – smart enough to know he wasn’t normal. 

It was when he fantasised about his father releasing all over Fran’s tiny body did he let out a strangled cry and spurt all over his hand at his release.  He laid there for a few moments so that he could catch his breath and then laugh softly to himself.; he knew he was sick for getting off to a little boy being raped, but he couldn’t help it – he didn’t know any other way to fantasise. 

Bel pulled his sticky pyjamas from his body before he threw them carelessly to the ground, not caring who saw the evidence of his act; they could say what they wanted and he didn’t care; he was used to the comments already.  His mind became focused on Fran as he wondered what it would be like to abuse that boy the way _he_ had been; _he_ could be  the one to dominate Fran the way his father had done to _him,_ but it would be okay because _Fran_ would be the one being raped and Bel would be in control.  He smirked at the idea before he frowned, remembering the way Fran had looked so peaceful snuggled against him... 

No.  The blond shook his head.  He couldn’t let Fran get close to him; Fran would just hurt him like everyone else.  There was no more room in his heart for pain. 

Refusing to let his emotions get the better of him, Bel stood up and moved to his closet to find new clothes before making his way to the bathroom to shower.  His mind was already made up; he wasn’t going to let _anyone_ into his heart ever again – especially not some stupid _brat._

 


	10. Chapter 10

Fran had been quiet after he finished his breakfast; he had become upset by the fact that Chrome and Mukuro were going to school today and would be leaving on him on his own.  It wasn’t that he didn’t want them to go, but he was feeling a little nervous about being left alone while he knew Bel would still be skulking around the orphanage somewhere; Mukuro had told him that the blond was the only orphan not allowed to attend school and so always spent his days alone in his room.  Part of Fran felt bad for the older boy, but the other half of him couldn’t help but think the other deserved it with his bad attitude. 

The teal-haired child had wandered out of the house after watching Mukuro and Chrome leave for the bus.  He didn’t know how much time had passed, but he was sure he had been out there for a while, just sitting on the back porch and looking around at his surroundings.  The yard was fenced all around so that it was closed off completely and could only be entered through a gate off to the side or the back door to the house.  There was an apple tree standing in the far left corner next to the fence, and a garden was growing around both the back of the house and most of the fencing.  Fran liked the porch best; it felt comfortable to him with its deck chairs and table – it was almost… welcoming to him.   

“Fran?”

The addressed boy looked behind him as his name was called.  He noticed Tsuna was standing in the doorway with Gokudera by his side, and the green eyes that had previously been angry when Fran had looked into them earlier that morning now seemed calm and placid, as if the brunet was an instant stress relief for him. 

“You should come inside, Fran.  Lunch will be ready soon.” Tsuna smiled as he held the door open wider in invitation.  “We’re having takoyaki first, and then Lussuria is going to cook up a big meal for everyone.”

“Bel-senpai will be there…” Fran mumbled as he swung his legs off the side of the porch.  He wasn’t in the mood to deal with the blond, and all he wanted was to be left alone out here where he could think.

“But so will we,” the brunet reassured.  “You know we won’t let him do anything to you.  Come on.”

Fran sighed before he obeyed, not wanting to be pestered; he was quickly learning that the other adults here were relentless when they wanted the kids to do something.  He walked back into the house and stepped past the older two, but though Gokudera had seemed calm by Tsuna’s side, he tensed and glared angrily at the child as they passed each other.

Fran’s eyebrows dipped as he tried to process what he had done wrong.  Had he accidentally brushed against the other?  Or was it that his mere presence was repulsing the silver-haired teenager?  If it was the latter, Fran had grown used to it – he was, as Bel had _kindly_ pointed out to him before, a slut. 

It was understandable that Gokudera wouldn’t want his filthiness to touch him.

By the time the trio arrived in the kitchen, they found Lussuria was handing a plate of food to Bel.  Fran cocked his head to the side as he listened to the conversation between them.

“Sweetheart, why are you so grumpy today?” Lussuria’s voice was gentle as he watched the blond glare down at the plate as if it were the source of his discontentment. 

Bel sneered at the question.  “I am _not_ grumpy!  Fuck you!”  And then, as soon as he turned around to take his food to the dining table, he halted and grit his teeth at the sight of the trio.  In the blink of an eye, his plate had left his hands and flown through the air in order to spill all over Gokudera after hitting him in the head.

“You fuck!” Gokudera roared.  He ran at the blond with every intent on slaughtering the other; he was _far_ from the mood to deal with this bullshit, and Bel was going to _pay._ He was barely aware of the deep gash in his leg from where the plate had shattered on the floor and sprayed him with shards; all that mattered was getting his hands on that fucking blond.  “I’ll fucking kill you!”

“Don’t touch me!” Bel screamed back as he was tackled to the floor.  He threw punch after punch at the younger, but all it resulted in was making Gokudera angrier than he already was.  To the bystanders, it looked as if the two were trying to kill each other – in reality, it probably _was_ that way because Lussuria couldn’t pull them away, and not even Tsuna’s shouts for them to stop fighting went unheeded, and it wasn’t like Gokudera to ignore the brunet’s orders at all. 

Fran’s eyes were wide as he surveyed the fight.  He watched Bel and Gokudera roll around on the floor, with punches, kicks, scratches, bites – anything they could get in – accompanying their shouting.  He whimpered as he hid behind Tsuna’s legs; what he was seeing right now was utterly terrifying for his young mind. 

“Gokudera-kun, get off him!” Tsuna ran forward to stop the fight.  “Gokudera-kun!”

It wasn’t until a stray fist hit Tsuna in the face did the quarrelling stop.  Both Bel and Gokudera looked up when the brunet let out a cry of pain, and it was the silver-haired male who walked away from the fight; he knew it was his fault Tsuna had gotten hurt, and he felt horrible.  He clambered off the bloodied ‘prince’ and put his now-shaking hands on Tsuna’s shoulders as his eyes shined in guilt.  His voice quivered as he spoke.  “T-tenth…!  I-I’m so sorry!”

Tsuna removed his hand from his nose so that he could peer at the younger male.  There was a trail of blood between the two, but he still smiled; he was just glad the fighting had stopped.  “It’s okay, Gokudera-kun.”

Lussuria was tending to Bel.  He held a napkin to the boy’s forehead as he jittered anxiously; he hated seeing the boy like this, and he wished that there was something they could do to save him; it broke their hearts watching as he slowly lost himself to his trauma.  “Bel, you should know better than to fight with your friends like this!  You’re hurt and this could have been avoided, honey!”

Belphegor pushed the man away with a growl.  “They’re _not_ my friends and _don’t_ call me _honey!”_

Tsuna ignored this, knowing Lussuria could handle himself.  He glanced down at Gokudera’s leg, seeing the way blood was flowing in rivers and the boy’s skin rapidly paled.  “Gokudera-kun, you need stitches.”

“What?  Oh – I’m fine, Tenth.  Honest.”

Tsuna wrapped his arms around the teenager as he pulled them both to their feet.  “We need to get something to wrap around that and then we’re going to the doctor’s.”

Fran, who had been forgotten because of the fray, watched with teary eyes as Tsuna led Gokudera out of the room and Lussuria kept mending to Bel’s injuries.  It wasn’t until he let out a loud sob as the stress of everything finally got on top of him did anyone pay him attention.

Lussuria frowned as he saw the boy standing there, whereas Bel’s heart clenched for some unknown reason; why was seeing the usually stoic child so emotional _hurting_ him?  _He’s crying…?_ Bel couldn’t understand the reasons behind the boy’s tears; what could _possibly_ have upset him?  _But… why…?_

Lussuria left the sixteen-year-old’s side to bring Fran into a tight hug and rock him back and forth.  “What’s wrong, Fran, dear?”

Fran reached up to rip at his hair at his distress; his tiny body couldn’t _possibly_ contain all the suffering he held deep inside.  “It hurts!”

“What hurts?” Lussuria glanced back at Bel in an attempt to keep an eye on both of the boys; he wouldn’t put it past the blond to use this moment to run away again. 

The teal-haired boy shook his head as he continued to cry.  “I-it’s hurting me!  Make it stop!  Make it stop!”

Lussuria continued to rock the boy and whisper soothing words to him.  “Shh, it’s okay, Fran.  It’s okay, honey.  You can trust me.”

Fran started shouting now as those words only added more to his distress; how was he supposed to trust someone he barely even _knew?_   “Leave me alone!  I hate you!”

The chef knew these words hurt him, but this was a damaged child who was probably fearing for his safety – he couldn’t take them to heart.  “Honey, it’s okay.  What’s hurting you?”

Bel sat and watched this scene.  He knew this was so similar to how he had been when he had first been brought here as an eight-year-old who wouldn’t allow anyone to _look_ at him, let alone touch him; he had only wanted to be left alone.    

 _When I first came here…_ Bel thought to himself, _I didn’t want anyone to come near me…  If anyone spoke to me, I’d attack them with whatever I had to keep them away…  But it was when they came too close… did I cry…  Just like how Fran is crying… Because I was honestly terrified…_

The boy could remember never wanting to come out of his room.  Back then, it had just been him, but when other orphans came along to join them and the adults had gotten sick of breaking up fights started by Bel, Squalo had resorted to getting a pet for the blond in hopes of calming him down; with Bel’s dangerous personality, the gardener had been very careful in keeping an eye on the animals’ safety, quickly deeming kittens and puppies as unsuitable after rescuing several from the boy’s cruel hands. 

In fact, Mammon hadn’t even come from Squalo; on one of the many occasions Bel had ran away from the Varia, Xanxus had found him, sitting calmly in the park with said frog on his head.  The first words that had been spoken between them were from Bel asking if he could name the frog Mammon, and from there, it was an unspoken agreement between the two that the blond could keep the amphibian. 

 _Mammon was the only reason I didn’t run away again until I got older…_ Bel recalled.  _In fact, he was the only reason I started talking to any of them here…_

“Please, don’t hurt me…”

_He sounds so scared…  Just like how I used to sound when I…  When I…_

“Hey…” Bel’s voice was hesitant, uncertain.  He pushed himself to his feet before he approached the boy.  When he was close enough, he squatted down and stared into teal eyes.  He fidgeted uneasily before he said, “…Froggy shouldn’t be scared of Luss…”

Fran quietened down at this.  His tears flowed silently down his cheeks as he stared at Bel in confusion; why was the blond talking to him like this?  Didn’t Bel hate him?  He had honestly thought that was the case…  After all, the blond had tried to hurt him just like everyone else in his past had.

But before Fran could question Bel, the blond had stood up and left the room.

Fran and Lussuria looked at each other before the man said, “He’s right.  I just want to look after you.”

There were just two questions on Fran’s mind; why had Bel said what he had, and why did he sound sad…?  Should he… talk to Bel…? 

Finally, Fran stopped his tears and let his head rest against Lussuria’s shoulder as the chef rocked him some more.  When teal eyes slipped shut, oblivion overwhelmed Fran as he fell asleep.   


	11. Chapter 11

When the sound of the school bus stopping out the front of the Varia House caught Fran’s attention, he slowly clambered off the couch in the living room so that he could greet Mukuro and Chrome.  He was glad that, though the twins and Ryohei went to different schools, they were able to catch the same bus because it made it easier for him to know who was home rather than having to learn the schedule of two different buses.   

The boy was feeling sluggish as he moved, exhausted from the day’s earlier events.  The front door opened before he could get there, and the first words he heard from the new arrivals was Ryohei shouting for Bel.

“Bel, come and get your extremely stupid frog!” The grey-haired teenager shouted as he threw his school bag down onto the ground by the front door.  “It’s on the extreme stairs again!”

“Bel-senpai’s not here…” Fran said quietly, gathering the attention of the three. 

“W-where is he…?” Chrome asked shyly.  She pressed against her brother, almost as if she was anxious to hear the answer.  Part of her _was_ worried; she knew how unstable Bel was, and that it wasn’t unlikely for him to have tried to commit suicide again; he had a bad habit of seeming to be okay and then, out of the blue, trying to kill himself. 

“Did they finally get rid of him?” Ryohei asked.  Fran couldn’t help but note his tone sounded hopeful.  “Or maybe Squid-Head beat him up to the extreme again?”

The teal-haired child nodded before he explained.  “Bel-senpai had a fight with Gokudera and Lussuria and Tsuna took them to the doctor’s.  They haven’t been home since.”

“Who cares about Bel.” Ryohei shrugged.  “I mean – everyone extremely hates him anyway.  He’s only tolerated because no one else will take him from Varia’s hands.”

Fran blinked; was that really true…?  “But…”

“Kid, don’t get the wrong idea.” Ryohei put his hand on Fran’s shoulder, as if he was explaining something delicate to a small child.  “The only reason Sawada and the others look after him when he freaks out is because it’s their job to do so.  They don’t want him here.  They regretted to the extreme bringing him here after the first few days.  We all hate him – _all_ of us.”

“…I thought… Mukuro and Chrome…”

Mukuro stayed oddly quiet throughout Ryohei’s lecture, but Chrome spoke up in a small voice that was barely audible, almost as if she didn’t want to get involved in the conversation. 

“…W-we don’t hate him…” Chrome whispered.  “…W-we just… don’t know how to h-handle him…”

“Look, it doesn’t matter,” Ryohei said.  “At the end of the day, he’s still the most extremely disliked person in this house.”

 _What a horrible existence he’s leading in this place…_ Fran thought to himself.  He watched as Ryohei turned to the right and headed to the kitchen, probably to find himself food.  His emerald eyes than wandered over to Mammon who was sitting peacefully on the bottom stair, croaking every now and then.  He walked over to the frog and picked it up, not wanting it to get stood on.  _I mean, he’s here, but…  The fact that he_ knows _how much he is disliked…  I bet it hurts knowing he’s here where he’s taken care of, but still unwanted… That would hurt me…_

Mammon croaked in the little boy’s hands before he propelled himself into Fran’s teal hair and nested amongst the messy strands.  Chrome and Mukuro were still standing by the door, watching Fran.  Neither of them moved nor spoke when emerald eyes fixed on them next.

“Do you really dislike Bel-senpai?” the child questioned in a manner so innocent, it made the older two feel ill.

Mukuro and Chrome shook their heads.  It was the blue-haired boy who explained.  “It is not that we dislike him as much as we feel uncomfortable around him.  The first time we so much as laid eyes on him, he pulled a knife he had hidden in his jacket on us.  He would have cut us if Xanxus had not grabbed his wrists and pulled the knife from him.”

“Why does Ryohei and Gokudera hate him?  What did Bel-senpai do to them?”

“We are not sure why Ryohei hates him.  But Gokudera?  You cannot really be asking me that, little one.  Gokudera hates _everyone._ His mother died in a car crash on his birthday coming to deliver his present, and he blames himself for that.  His self-hatred bounces off on everyone else.”

Fran didn’t quite understand that; if Gokudera hates everyone, why does he always follow Tsuna around like a puppy?  He absentmindedly ran a finger down Mammon’s back when the frog croaked again as he tried to understand how someone could possibly hate everyone with the exception of just one person.

The child wasn’t feeling right the more he thought about it, and all of a sudden socialising felt like a tremendous effort.  He turned his attention back to the twins and, with the air of someone who was used to having to ask for permission before doing _anything,_ excused himself.  “I want to go to my room now.”

“Don’t let us keep you, little one.”

“P-please, do so, F-fran.” Chrome offered a shy smile.

Fran, so unused to his wishes being granted happily, frowned as he turned and walked up the stairs with the frog still on his head.  He was still trying to work out Gokudera’s infatuation with Tsuna, convinced that it was impossible for someone with a bad background to so easily accept someone – but then, hadn’t Mukuro and Chrome accepted him without hesitation?  And Tsuna, too? 

 _I just don’t understand…_ Fran closed the bedroom door behind him before he moved to sit on his bed with his back resting against the wall.  _If Gokudera accepts Tsuna to the point where he follows him everywhere… am I doing the same thing with Mukuro…?  Does that mean… I’m like Gokudera, even if I don’t know it…?  Do I actually_ like _someone…?”_

Mammon croaked, distracting Fran from his thoughts.  The child tried to look up almost instinctively at the frog in his hair, but he couldn’t see anything other than his teal strands falling into his eyes.  He forgot about Gokudera as his mind travelled to Bel and why the blond seemed so attached to the creature; was it normal for someone to like their pet but hate absolutely everyone around them?  He wasn’t sure, but that was how Bel was.   

“Why does Bel always seem to have you out of your tank?” Fran questioned, not really knowing why he expected an answer; even _he_ knew frogs didn’t talk.  “It’s like Gokudera…  He only smiles around you…  Are you his only friend, Mammon?”

_Croak._

“After what Ryohei was saying, I guess I can understand why he likes you.  You must be the only one who doesn’t make him feel disliked.”

“What would _you_ know about it?”

Fran blinked at the voice.  He looked to the doorway, surprised to see Bel standing there; he had been so caught up in talking to Mammon he hadn’t even heard the door open. 

“Bel-senpai, I –“ Fran started to explain himself but he quickly stopped when the blond stomped towards him with a grim look plastered on his face.

“Why have you got Mammon?!” Bel roared.  He snatched the frog from Fran and held it close to his chest as if he were afraid of the boy hurting it – in actually, he _was_ terrified of someone taking his only friend from him, which was why he never had been able to handle anyone near his frog. 

Fran heard the panic in Bel’s voice, and at that moment it hit him; he _had_ been right in assuming Mammon was Bel’s only friend and said teenager was scared to lose him.  He spoke as calmly as he could manage despite being nervous about being alone with Bel; what if the blond tried to hurt him again?  “Mammon was on the stairs when everyone got off the bus.  I-I thought someone might step on him so I brought him back up here…”

The blond relaxed at this; he had thought that Fran was only going to hurt his little friend, but to hear that the other had looked out for Mammon…  Well, Bel truly didn’t know how to react.  “…Oh…  He’s… been known to wander the house…”

Fran watched as hands that had been used to hurt so many people gently caressed the frog as if it were a fragile heirloom.  He could see how important the animal was to the blond, and it honestly warmed his heart; he felt better knowing Bel wasn’t _completely_ alone. 

“…The prince appreciates you looking after Mammon…” Bel mumbled.  He turned away from Fran’s general direction, almost as if he didn’t want the other to see him looking so vulnerable. 

When silence fell between them, Fran was the one to break it. 

“Bel-senpai, can we…” Fran fidgeted in discomfort before he continued speaking, “…can we be friends…?"

Bel froze as panic surged through him; he had never had a friend before apart from Mammon and a mink he had found back when he was still in the clutches of that monster - the entire _concept_ of befriending a fellow human was alien to him, and it horrified him to even _consider_ letting someone be so close to him.

 _People are bad…_ Bel’s mind was racing as fast as his heart, and his eyes darted unseeingly around the room behind blond bangs as he searched for the slightest hint of danger.  He needed to be prepared; he couldn’t trust anyone – he _wouldn’t_ trust anyone.  _They only cause pain…  Monsters…  Monsters…  Hurt…  They hurt…  Don’t want to be hurt again…  Leave me alone…_

“Bel-senpai?” Fran knew he had upset the other when tears started flowing down pale cheeks and Bel trembled as if he were locked out in the cold.  He stood up and slowly approached the other, wanting to be able to help, but not sure if he could.  “Bel-senpai, I didn’t mean to upset you.”

Bel let go of Mammon so that he could slip his hands into the opposite sleeves of his clothing and scratch at the scars that marred his pale wrists.  He didn’t know how else to handle his stress; he wanted – no, he _needed_ – to cut himself, to slice open his wrists and bleed all over the floorboards like he had done so many times before.  He needed to feel sick and weak from the blood loss so that he couldn’t think about anything other than how _dead_ he already felt just from losing too much blood – but he didn’t have his knives, and no one else in the house would give him someone to hurt himself with if he were to ask.  _D-don’t want…  Don’t want to be touched anymore…  Don’t want to be hurt…_

Fran tilted his head as he caught sight of ugly scars lined side-by-side against a tiny wrist.  He was too young to understand their significance, assuming them only to be dark reminders left behind by Bel’s tormenters.  However, he could understand _that_ – the left-overs of a past too horrid to want to remember.

“Bel-senpai?” Fran could tell the other was lost inside his mind.  He could understand that, but he wasn’t sure about how he should grab Bel’s attention.  Should he reach out to touch the other?  Or just keep talking until the blond zoned in?  Hearing the frightened whimpers that now accompanied the crying was enough for Fran to understand what he had to do; he took a deep breath and climbed up onto the bed beside Bel, careful not to touch but close enough for Bel to sense his presence.  Once the other looked at him, he spoke in a voice full of his own bottled up pain.  “It hurts, doesn’t it?”

“…” Bel stopped scratching at wounds that were now reopening as he heard a tone of voice he had never heard before; the tone of recognition – of true understanding.

“It hurts when all you can do is remember things you don’t want to.” Fran looked down at his lap as ghosts of previous touches sent shivers down his spine.  “You can’t stop the thoughts and all you want to is _forget_ and move on with your life, but it’s so _hard…_  The worst is when people look at you, and tell you it’s okay when it’s not, and that they know it hurts – but how can they know when they haven’t suffered it themselves?  I know what it’s like to lay awake in bed at night and cry because you’re too scared to sleep – because you know that if you do, you’ll dream and see it all over again as if it were really happening and you couldn’t escape it after all; you just thought you had.  I know it feels like there’s no future, no hope of forgetting – that the fear will forever rule your life.  And Bel-senpai?  …I don’t know if you know this pain, too, but… I know what it’s like to want to die.  Being dead…  It seems so much easier…  I wish I could die, and then I wouldn’t have to hurt.  I want everything to stop but no one seems to care enough to see that, or want to help.  I wish…  I honestly wish I had a friend, Bel-senpai.  You might think you’ve only got Mammon – and maybe that’s true, I don’t know.  But I don’t have anyone.  I’m all alone in this world, senpai…  I just…  I wish I had someone like you have Mammon…  A frog is better than having to suffer alone and in silence…”

Fran wanted to say more; he had tried to relate to Bel as much as he could but now his feelings were just getting in the way and he couldn’t cope with expressing so much of himself after so long of keeping it all locked away for no one to see. He shut his mouth and squeezed his eyes shut as he closed his eyes, trying to pretend his couldn’t feel his own tears dripping down onto his black pants. 

“…You don’t…” Fran whimpered.  He fisted his hands into his clothing as his shoulders started to shake from the stress that was quickly overwhelming even _him_ , “…you don’t see how lucky you are to have a friend, Bel-senpai…  You’re so selfish for that…”

 _Sel…fish…?_ Bel blinked at these words; he was _selfish…?_   He lifted his hand to wipe at his tears.  _…Fr…iend…?  He…  He knows the same pain I do…  It hurts him the same…  He’s been nice to me, unlike the others here…  I’ve just… pushed him away all this time…  But why does it hurt so much when I try and accept him…?  I know why…  I’m scared…  I’m too proud to admit that, but it’s the truth – that mink I had when I was little?  I’m afraid of losing a… a_ friend, _just like how I lost that mink…_

Bel, despite his own heartbreak, could see how strong Fran was trying to be; the younger was trying to choke back his emotions – just like Bel always did because he was too afraid of being taken advantage of if people knew just how weak and pathetic he truly was beneath all that anger and violence he constantly presented to everyone.  He wanted to reach out and touch the kid, perhaps put an arm around his shoulders, but after so many years of the trauma he had _never_ been able to leave behind, he was… too scared…

“…F-froggy…?” Bel winced at how tragic he sounded, so drained of energy – so _vulnerable._

Fran looked up at Bel, and his lips quivered as he hiccupped.  “S-senpai…?”

“...” Bel sighed.  _Is the reason I’m starting to care about him crying… because I do just the same when I’m alone…?  No one knows how I curl up in my bed and cry for hours when no one else is home…  I know… how agonising it is…_ “…You don’t have to cry anymore, Froggy…”

Fran rubbed at his eyes before he whispered, “W-why…?”

“…” _Here goes nothing…_ “…B-because… we…  We can be lonely together…”

Fran couldn’t stop himself, despite knowing how badly hurt it could get him in doing so; he reached out and wrapped his thin arms around Bel’s own scarred limb before he buried his face into the boy’s striped shirt and _cried_.

Bel was frightened by the contact, but he was able to overcome it; he could remember being around the kid’s age, locked away in that dark closet that still haunted his nightmares as he cried to himself, wishing with all his being that he could have someone to hold him tight and tell him that it would be okay – but he hadn’t had that kind of reassurance in his life, and over time he had just given up, believing it would _never_ happen, that it was all a fairy tale and that people weren’t really comforting like he had wanted to pretend for so many years after all. 

The blond cleared his throat in discomfort before he awkwardly patted the younger’s shoulder and bit his lip; he was trying his best to allow this kind of physical contact after so many years of refusing it, but it was just too much for him to allow for more than a few seconds.  “…F-froggy…?  Can you let go of me now…?”

Fran didn’t hear the teenger’s request; his second emotional outburst for the day had really taken its toll on him, and slowly, thanks to the comfort of Bel’s warm body, his awareness of reality drifted away from him as sleep overwhelmed his hazy mind.

When Bel realised Fran was no longer awake and merely hiccupping on him in his sleep, he shuddered as he thought of letting the boy remain on him; he was terrified of physical contact and he just wasn’t ready to let Fran use him as a pillow.

The boy carefully lifted Fran’s head so that he could slip a pillow underneath the teal hair instead so that he could get back to his feet.  He glanced down at Fran, and his heart melted at how frightened the boy looked, even in his sleep. 

Kneeling by the bed, Bel ran a shaking hand through Fran’s hair for a few seconds before he pulled the blankets over the tiny body and shook his head as he decided he wouldn’t go back on his word – Fran was fragile, so young and with a life ahead of him.  If Bel could just help the younger have a better life than _he_ did… maybe it could help heal _both_ of their hearts.  


	12. Chapter 12

 When Lussuria went up to Bel’s bedroom that night to call the two boys down for dinner, he was horrified to find Fran asleep in the older boy’s bed because almost immediately, the worst-case scenario played through his head; had Bel snapped again?  Hurt him?  Had his cruel personality come out once more?

Lussuria was tense as he made his way over to the bed.  He held his breath as he shook the child’s shoulder, whispering his name.  “Fran.  Fran, wake up, hun.”

Fran blinked a few times to clear the haze from his eyes before he looked up at Lussuria.  “…?”

“Hun, why are you in Bel’s bed?” Lussuria questioned in a gentle manner.  “Did he hurt you?”

Fran shook his head as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes.  “…I… fell asleep, I guess.”

“He didn’t hurt you?” Lussuria reached out and picked Fran up.  He held the kid close to his chest and let out a sigh of relief when the boy’s head was shaken once again.  “Thank goodness.”

Fran didn’t want to be held by this man, but he was too tired to protest.  His eyes slipped closed once again as he was carried out of the room and down the corridor, almost unable to keep them open from the fatigue he was feeling.  Lussuria could see how exhausted Fran was, but he couldn’t let the other skip dinner – not when the teal-haired child had barely eaten over the few days he had been here. 

It was quiet as the two entered the dining room; the other kids were sitting at the table eating their dinner, and nothing had been said between them until Lussuria placed Fran down on one of the chairs and broke the silence. 

“Has anyone seen Bel?” Lussuria’s worry increased once again as everyone shrugged. 

“No one cares.” Ryohei was the one to respond. 

“Don’t be like that, hun,” Lussuria said softly, pained that the younger could talk like that about the blond.  “Bel-chan is very important to all of us here.”

Fran, remembering what had been said earlier that day, spoke up.  “Ryohei said everyone hates Bel-senpai.”

“Of course not, dear!” The man sounded horrified by the accusation, as if he couldn’t believe something so nasty had been said.  “Bel is precious to us adults.  He’s always been the one we’ve had to protect and love.  You kids eat your dinner while I go look for him.”

Fran pushed his plate away; he had no intention of eating it because the smell of the ramen was making his stomach churn.  “I want to come.”

Lussuria wanted to argue and make him stay to eat, but he knew that, even if he made the boy stay, Fran wouldn’t eat anyway; he might as well get the kid out of the house for a while since the poor thing was probably bored out of his mind with having nothing to do.  “Come on, then, hun.”

Fran yawned as he stood up and followed Lussuria to the front door.  “Why are we going outside? Wouldn’t Bel-senpai still be in the house?”

“I doubt it; sometimes he goes to the park just down the street so he can be alone.”

Fran nodded.  Nothing more was said between them as they walked down the street; the darkness that engulfed them and the cold night air that made Fran’s body start to shake didn’t do well for the tense atmosphere.  The kid felt almost unnerved as he followed Lussuria to the end of the street; he had never been outside at night before, and his young mind was almost convincing him that monsters would jump out at him any second now.

But Lussuria seemed fearless of any monsters and it was because of that Fran was able to make it to the park.  His eyes squinted through the darkness, but he was able to make out a faint figure sitting on top of the metal monkey-bars once the light of the moon glinted down upon them. 

“Is that Bel-senpai?” Fran sure hoped it was; he wasn’t really liking being outside and he wanted to go back to his room.

Lussuria nodded.  He leant down to pick Fran up and hold him close as they approached.  “That’s him.”

Bel didn’t seem to notice anyone was approaching him; he was too busy staring up at the sky and waving his arm in the air as if he were trying to grasp a piece of the night sky.   He turned around slowly when the sound of the bark crunching beneath footsteps got louder and louder, and even through the thin film of light the moon was providing, Fran could still make out the heartbroken frown on his face.

“Leave the prince alone, Luss…” Bel mumbled.  He turned his back towards the male again, not wanting to talk to anyone; he just wanted to be left alone. 

“Give me the knife, Bel.” Lussuria sounded sad as he held his hand out.  The teal-haired male cocked his head to the side; knife?  How had Lussuria known the other had a knife?  He hadn’t even noticed one.    

Bel sighed, but he did as he was told and held a kitchen knife out to the man.  His voice was hoarse as if he had been crying for hours, and the sad part was, the man knew he had been; the blond wouldn’t have come out here like this if he hadn’t been.  “I just wants to die…  Why do you insist on me living when I don’t want to…?” 

“Come down so I can see your wrists, Bel.”    

“No.” Bel sniffed as he pulled his arms to his chest protectively.  “You can’t just let me die in peace…?”

“No one needs to die, Bel-chan,” Lussuria said gently.  “We just want to help you.  That’s all.  Please, come down.”

Bel knew it would just be easier to do as told because the man wasn’t going to leave him alone anytime soon; Lussuria would only keep bothering him, and he _really_ wasn’t in the mood for it at all.  He was reluctant to get off the monkey bars, but he knew that it was just easier for him to listen for once; it would save him the lecture he would undoubtedly get if he refused, after all.   

When the blond was on the ground, Lussuria reached out and turned Bel’s pale arms over so that his wrists were exposed.  It broke his heart to see the blood that flowed in rivers, and he desperately wished he could help the boy. He was silent as he put Fran onto the ground so that he could place both of his hands over the wounds in hopes that it would stem the bleeding.  “You’re going to need stitches again, hun; thank goodness you were cutting across and not down.”

Bel whimpered as he was picked up.  He struggled in Lussuria’s hold before he stopped as the blood loss caused his head to spin.  He felt as if he were going to throw up as his vision went black and his ears started to ring, feelings all too familiar to him causing him distress.

Lussuria had seen this sudden weakness all too often when Bel tried to kill himself; he had to hurry and get him to the hospital before the blood loss became too much for him to handle.  He made sure that Bel was cradled safely in one arm so that he could use his free hand to hold Fran’s as he pulled the younger along back to the Varia Orphanage. 

It didn’t take long for Lussuria to get back to the orphanage, but by the time he had opened the door to his car parked on the side of the road, his worry heightened as he noticed Bel’s eyes had slipped closed and the boy’s breathing had become ragged; he desperately wished he had tried harder to get Bel to come down sooner, and maybe they would have had more time to get him medical treatment.  The man laid the blond down on the back seat of his car before he helped Fran in as well and then got into the car himself, thankful that he always kept his keys on him for emergencies like this; in a situation like this, every second counted. 

The drive to the hospital was a quick one as the location of Varia was chosen specifically for its proximity to their local hospital. Lussuria parked in emergencies, not caring that he had taken up some of the space of the park next to him, and got out of the car. He was careful as he pulled an unconscious Bel into his arms, and after waiting briefly for Fran to get out of the car, he hurried into the hospital.

Lussuria knew it was depressing that the staff in reception only had to take just one look at Bel before they called immediately for the doctor specifically allocated for Varia; Bel had been here enough times for suicide attempts to be on first name basis with the staff.

“Come on, hun.” Lussuria looked down at Fran as he started walking again. “We have to hurry.”

Fran followed, but he found the nurses rushing back and forth unsettling; he didn’t know what it was about this place, but he really hated the atmosphere, even if he couldn’t work out why. He kept his head lowered, but he lifted it again once they turned into a room and a voice he had never heard before filled the air.

“Him again, huh?”

Fran found a man, with shaggy brown hair and a white coat, staring at them with his nose scrunched up.  He cocked his head to the side, wondering who this man was and how Lussuria knew him – but before he could question it, the other spoke again.   

“He cut himself again, didn’t he?” The man gestured to the hospital bed sitting against the wall opposite them as he stood up from the desk he had been sitting at. 

Lussuria nodded as he gently lowered Bel down on the bed and did his best not to jostle the injured arm.  “I don’t know if it was a suicide attempt or not.”

The stranger grabbed the bloodied arm so that he could examine it.  “Needs stitches.”

Lussuria moved to sit on one of the chairs in the corner.  He was biting at his nails as he watched the man clean out the wound.  It was when they started to be stitched up did he turn his attention to Fran, not wanting to watch the procedure; it made him feel queasy knowing this was his precious Bel lying unconscious on the hospital bed having self-inflicted injuries cared for.  “Shamal’s a good doctor; he doesn’t treat any other males except for our boys.”

“…Why…?” Fran looked up into the black sunglasses, curious as to what this reason could be; he also had learnt what the other was, too – now all that was left was to find out what a doctor was. 

“He’s an old acquaintance of Xanxus and Squalo.  I’m not sure the details but there was an accident and the two saved him.  It’s Shamal repaying a debt to them by looking after the kids.”

“Oh…” Fran turned back to Bel and watched as white bandages were wrapped carefully around the skinny arm.  His eyes wandered to the bloodied rags sitting beside Bel that had been used to clean the blood and wounds.  He couldn’t help but wince; that was a lot of blood, and Fran hadn’t realised there was so much in one body until now.  What horrified the child even more was the amount of blood on Lussuria’s clothing he had only just noticed; no wonder the blond looked like he was dead. 

“I’ll keep him here overnight.” Shamal shook his head as his eyes wandered over his patient’s fragile body; he had seen the younger in worse condition, but still, he hated seeing this.  “I want to get some blood into him to compensate for what he’s lost.”

Lussuria nodded.  Tears trailed down his cheeks at those words; it always broke his heart whenever the blond would land himself in hospital but he had to keep in mind it was something he could never understand, no matter how hard he tried – _he_ had never lived the life Bel had and no amount of pretending would ever help him relate.

Fran was silent.  He didn’t know what he was supposed to say or do or even _feel_ right now; all he knew was that he honestly hoped Bel would be okay because for some reason, the idea of losing his new friend was painful.  

 


	13. Chapter 13

****

When Fran awoke the next morning, it was to his bedroom door closing and footsteps approaching his bed.  He opened his eyes to see who it was, expecting for Mukuro to be coming to wake him up for breakfast, but instead he came face-to-face with a face full of blond hair and a grinning mouth that revealed pearly white teeth.

“Bel-senpai…?” Fran let out a yawn as he sat up.  “Bel-senpai, is your arm okay?”

“Ushishishi~  Is Froggy worried about his senpai~?” Bel’s grin only became wider, as if he were amused by the younger’s concern.  Fran couldn’t help but think that right now, the blond was acting differently, not the same angry and loathing boy he had known – instead, this one seemed almost… innocent.

At least, as innocent as that unnerving grin made him appear.

Fran closed his eyes when warm arms wrapped around him and nestled into Bel’s chest; he was welcoming the embrace from the blond, no matter how unexpected it was – Bel really _was_ acting differently...  “…”

The boy didn’t seem to care about the silence that had fallen within the room.  He rested his chin on top of teal hair as he stared at the wall in front of him.  His head was a little clouded and he didn’t feel as if he could think straight; he had been pumped so full of morphine at the hospital, he felt completely out of touch with himself, feeling emotion and desire within him he couldn’t otherwise feel without the painkillers distorting his cognitive abilities. 

There was silence between the two as Bel ran his hand up and down Fran’s side and shuddering beneath the touch of the younger’s fabric against his fingertips.  He licked his lips as he stared down at the child almost asleep once again in his arms; how easily it would be to take advantage of him right now…

But Bel didn’t feel like hurting the other, and instead he wanted to know what it was like to have consent for once; he was feeling cheerful for once, and he didn’t want his good mood to be ruined by the screaming and tears he knew Fran would make if he were to force the other down and take him roughly the way he dreamed of doing when no one else was around to stop him. 

“Hey, Froggy?” Bel lifted his chin from Fran’s hair and looked down at him.

“Hm?” The child didn’t open his eyes.

“You should be the prince’s boyfriend.”

It took Fran a few seconds to register what the teenager had said.  He didn’t understand the suggestion; what was a boyfriend?  “…Huh?”

“Ushishishi~  You know, be _the prince’s_ Froggy – his _boyfriend_!”

In Fran’s sheltered existence, he had never encountered a ‘boyfriend’.  In fact, he hadn’t encountered a lot of things, having been used purely for pleasure and then thrown back into the dirty cage he was kept in.  There was so much he didn’t understand, and what Bel was asking of him was proof of the neglect he had been put through for so long.

“What does a boyfriend do?” Fran asked. 

 _He doesn’t know what a boyfriend is?_ Bel laughed inwardly to himself at the thought.  _How does he not know?_ “Boyfriends kiss and touch each other.”

“Oh.” Fran couldn’t see much appeal in such a thing but if it would make Bel happy, he would oblige.  “Okay.  Have you had a boyfriend before, Bel-senpai?”

“Nope.” The boy rested his chin on teal hair once more.  “Never liked anyone enough to want it.”

“Does that mean you like me?”

“Yup.  You’re _the prince’s_ Froggy now.”

Fran was still oblivious to the expectations of a boyfriend so, when hot lips pressed against his own, his eyes widened and he pulled away as his past experiences told him something unwanted was about to happen.

“B-bel-senpai…” Tears welled up in Fran’s eyes as he hiccupped softly, the memories upsetting him.  “W-what are you doing…?”

“Kissing Froggy.” Bel smiled.  “Does Froggy not like it?”

“You scared me…” The younger whispered.  “I thought…”

Bel knew what had scared Fran; the sudden feel of something against his lips would have jogged the memories of the abuse.  It was something he could understand himself, after all; the same thing happened to him when people put their hands on his body, however innocently.  “The prince will kiss his Froggy again and he can see there’s nothing to fear.  Close your eyes.”

Fran hesitantly did as told.  He whimpered quietly when something pressed against his lips, but he didn’t pull away; he instead let it happen, wanting to be able to trust Bel. 

When the blond pulled away, he smiled.  “Can the prince kiss Froggy more?  You have to open your mouth this time.”

Fran was curious as to why his mouth needed to be opened but he felt himself trusting Bel not to hurt him; this wasn’t the same boy who had tried to abuse him because _this_ Bel was different, and Fran felt as if he could trust him now.  He didn’t move when Bel’s face came closer to his, but when he felt  something wet enter his mouth, he jumped and let out a whimper; he remembered all too clearly what the men he had lived with used to force into his mouth.  He tried to pull away as tears started to slide down his cheeks, but unlike the men who had only ever made it worse for him, the blond pulled away.    

“Don’t be scared, Froggy,” Bel whispered as he nuzzled his cheek against Fran’s.  “The prince won’t hurt you. You just need to trust him.”

Fran nodded, wanting desperately for his trust in someone to be right.  His body started to tremble as Bel slowly laid him down on the mattress beneath them.  He closed his eyes and turned his head to the side.  He flinched when he felt the boy grab his face and turn it back to his, and when he opened his eyes, he found that Bel was smiling down at him with that crooked grin of his before the stronger male slowly leant down and connected their mouths again.  His body was tense, but despite it, when he felt a tongue enter his mouth again to rub against his, he tried to reciprocate. 

The blond was overjoyed his kiss was being returned, and he couldn’t stop himself from running his hands all over Fran’s body and tasting every inch of the child’s mouth.  His groin was growing hard as he realised how the other was relaxing beneath his touches, and all he wanted in that moment was to ravish the teal-haired male.

Bel broke the kiss before he started planting soft kisses against Fran’s face.  “Did you like that, Froggy?”

Fran nodded.  He reached up and grabbed Bel’s shoulders in a dazed manner before he uttered, “I…  I feel… strange…”

“Hmm?” Bel smirked in knowing; he knew that their kisses had been arousing for the young boy, and he couldn’t help but play along.  “Strange?”

Fran nodded.  He sat up when he was pulled to sit on Bel’s lap, and he moaned as the tightness of his pants became apparent. This had never happened to him before and he didn’t know what was happening; all he knew was that when he ghosted his hand over his crotch, a jolt of pleasure shot through his body.  He looked up with hazy eyes and whispered, “W-what’s wrong with me…?”

Bel licked his lips in need.  “It’s nothing bad, Froggy.  Just touch yourself and it will go away.”

Fran nodded.  He lowered his hand so that it rested on thin material once more, but he didn’t move them; he didn’t understand what he was supposed to be doing.  He gasped in surprise as bigger hands suddenly pushed his own away so that they could pull his pants down to his thighs; he felt uncomfortable with his boyhood hanging out in the air for Bel’s eyes to devour.    

“That’s better,” Bel whispered into Fran’s ear.  His hot breath made the boy shiver, and it only aroused him further.  “Now I can watch.”

Fran shyly fondled his boyhood as he whimpered and moaned at pleasure he had never experienced before.  Bel continued to lick his lips as he focused his gaze on those tiny hands, ignoring his own hardness; his pleasure could wait because he wanted to enjoy this for as long as he could.

“Does it feel good…?” Bel whispered.  He groaned quietly as Fran shifted and rubbed against him.  “Oh, f-fuck...”

“Bel…senpai…” Fran let out another whimper as the pleasure within him intensified, but before anything more could happen, the bedroom door was opened and a head of silver hair poked into the room. 

“Hey, Gaylord Luss told me to – Voi!!!! What the _fuck_ is going on here?!”

Fran whimpered and curled into Bel’s arms so that his back was to the angry man.  He should have known it was bad to touch himself after everything he had been through, but it had felt so good he didn’t even _think_ of that…!  Tears welled up in his eyes as he started shaking, small sobs escaping every now and then.  Bel’s arms were wrapped around him protectively but nothing came out of the blond’s mouth; all he could manage was an agitated sneer.

Squalo stomped over to the bed and tried to snatch Fran away, but Bel was persistent; he had no intentions of letting go, and within seconds it became a tug-of-war for Fran.  The child, however, couldn’t take the sudden onslaught of distress and started screaming. 

People came to stand in the doorway to see what was happening, and it was easy enough to work out that something sexual had been happening between Fran and Bel previously as the teal-haired child’s now half-hard member hung out and the teenager’s pants were tented.  Xanxus was the one to push past the crowd at the sight so that he could punch the blond in the face as hard as he could to make the younger let go of Fran.

Bel grabbed his face as pain spread throughout his nervous system.  He looked through the cracks of his fingers in time to see Squalo adjusting his hold on Fran so that he tuck Fran back into his pants.    

Xanxus looked as if he were about to kill somebody – namely Bel in this situation.  He growled for Squalo to shut the door and, once the other had done so, he reached out and slammed Bel into the wall hard enough to make the younger’s head spin.  He held the blond against it by the shoulders as he snarled, “What the _fuck_ has gotten into you, trash?”

Bel glared defiantly at the dark-haired man before he spoke.  “Froggy is the prince’s boyfriend now so the prince may do with him as the prince wishes.”

Squalo slapped the boy across the face in disgust; how could Bel _think_ that way?!  “One; Fran is _nine,_ two; he’s _already_ been molested enough as it is, and three; you’ve done _nothing_ but take advantage of him.”

“The prince didn’t hurt him,” Bel spat back.  “He _liked_ it.  The prince was kind enough to let Froggy touch himself so he didn’t get scared.”

“He’s _nine!”_ Xanxus roared.  “You filthy piece of trash!”

“So what?  Froggy is the prince’s boyfriend!”

“Voi!  You’re not a fucking prince!” Squalo shouted.  “We’re all sick of hearing you refer to yourself as one!  You’re nothing but lowlife scum, getting off watching Fran touch himself!”

All through this, Fran had been curled against Squalo’s chest with his eyes wide as he held his hands over his ears.  He was horrified by the fighting, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t block any of the noise out. “Stop fighting!  Stop!”

“Fran, how did this start?” Squalo growled, trying to get the facts; he knew it wasn’t fair on Bel to treat him so badly after this – they had honestly expected such things from the boy due to his own abuse, as much as they had all hoped it would never come to this.

Fran sobbed as he tried to explain that it was all his fault everyone was mad; he shouldn’t have touched himself to begin with, much less in front of Bel.

“…B-bel-senpai… asked for us to be boyfriends…” Fran curled tighter into a ball, wanting to disappear.  “…W-we started to… k-kiss…  B-bel-senpai didn’t do anything I didn’t want…  I-it’s not his fault…  I didn’t know what was wrong with me.  I told him I felt strange because I did!  …A-all he did was tell me how to make it stop feeling weird…  It’s _my_ fault – I won’t ever touch myself again!  I promise!  J-just stop yelling at us!”

Xanxus and Squalo looked at each other before they turned to Bel, both of their expressions softening but still angry about the situation. 

“Listen, _trash…_ ” Xanxus leant in close as he spoke to Bel, “…he’s _nine._ I don’t care if you’re gay or whatever, but he is _not_ your boyfriend, you fucking pedo.  You do _not_ kiss him, do _not_ touch him and most of all, do _not_ have intercourse with him, consent or not, or else I really _will_ kill you.”  

Bel, who was hurting over being told he wasn’t a prince, spat, “The prince will do as he wishes.”

Squalo, who was softer than Xanxus, whispered to Fran, “Fran, it’s okay if you touch yourself because most males _do,_ but you’re young and shouldn’t have a boyfriend.”

“But…” More tears flowed as Fran sniffed.  “…I…  I-I want Bel-senpai to be my boyfriend…  I-I like it when we kiss…”

 _What’s the right thing to do here?_ Squalo thought to himself as he looked at the three males in the room.  _He’s young and not ready for this, but… Bel – whether or not it’s from the painkillers – has finally taken a huge step and allowed someone into his life…  Will taking away Fran result in a step back?  Or if we allow him to have Fran, what will be the result for_ him…?  _They’re both so damaged…  Maybe we_ should _allow this… to an extent…_

“Voi, Xanxus.” Squalo got his boss’ attention before he nodded at Bel who was now sitting on the bed, glaring angrily at the two.  “Maybe it’ll help with the trauma if we let them be.”

Xanxus grunted before he shrugged.  “Whatever.” Turning to Bel, he added, “If you dare do _one_ thing he doesn’t consent to, you’re dead meat.  Keep it at holding hands until he’s older, trash.”

Squalo hesitantly passed the shivering boy back to Bel.  He bit his lip as he did so; he could only hope he was doing the right thing here – he’d definitely get the others to help monitor the situation because he certainly didn’t want to find out that he had made a mistake in his judgement and allowed Fran to get hurt. 

The kid snuggled in against Bel, relieved to be back in the teenager’s arms; he had been so stressed by the fighting and hadn’t been able to cope.  The blond wrapped his arms tight around the shaking body and rested his chin on the boy’s hair, humming in contentment; he was just glad to have his Froggy back.

“I’m sorry I got you into trouble…” Fran whispered.  He blinked when a finger rested under his chin and tilted his head up; what did that kind of touch mean?

“It wasn’t the Frog’s fault; Froggy did nothing wrong,” Bel whispered back.  With that said, he crushed their lips together again and licked the other’s lips as he asked for access.  Fran was only too happy to let the roaming organ into his mouth, but he couldn’t keep the kiss lasting for long; he had to pull away for air after just a few seconds.  After they broke apart, Bel pushed Fran back onto the mattress.  “Froggy, the prince is tired. He’s going to sleep.  Wake him up for lunch.”

Fran nodded as he watched Bel get into his own bed.  He was feeling uncomfortable once again in his stomach, and he wondered whether or not he should touch himself again – both Squalo and Bel had said it was okay, but…

Biting his lip as a dull throbbing feeling made itself known between his legs, Fran blushed as he moved to the bathroom, hoping no one was in there so he could take care of himself.   


	14. Chapter 14

When Fran awoke the next morning, he found himself curled up in Bel’s arms and pressed against the boy’s chest.  He sighed softly as he snuggled closer, content with the proximity; it was a nice change to welcome the warm embraces instead of fearing the touch of others. 

Bel’s eyes opened slowly as he felt movement against him.  He shivered and tensed instinctively; by now the painkillers had long worn off and the events of the previous day were clear in his mind - what the _fuck_ had he done yesterday? 

“F-fran…”

Fran looked up, confused by the usage of his name; he had grown so used to being referred to as a frog, he had almost forgotten the other even knew what his name was.  He frowned, not liking the uncertainty clear in Bel’s voice.  “What’s wrong?”

Bel licked his lips, not knowing what to say; all he knew was that he felt very distressed.  “…A-about yesterday…”

“What about it?” Fran’s heart was starting to beat faster.  He didn’t know what to expect; was he in trouble for something?  Was Bel sick of him already?  Did Bel… not want him anymore…? 

“…” Bel sighed as he started pushing Fran away from him.  “…Fran…  W-we can’t be boyfriends…”

“What?”  Fran’s eyebrows narrowed in confusion; but Bel had said...  “Why…?”

“Fran, I…” Bel rolled onto his back and stared up at the roof.  “…The prince wasn’t in his right mind last night.  …I… don’t want to be boyfriends with you…” 

Fran felt as if his whole world had shattered.  W-what…?  He pulled himself on top of Bel and stared into the blond bangs hiding Bel’s eyes.  He felt his eyes tearing up, not understanding why it hurt so much; was it because he had put all the trust he had into Bel to not hurt him?  To let the blond touch him in ways he feared?  He had pulled down his barriers and let Bel past them, see him scared and upset, and now the blond was pulling away. 

What had Fran done wrong…?

“…I-I don’t understand…” Fran whispered.  He shivered as he felt the teenager try to push him away, scared Bel was going to hit him.

Bel stopped pushing at the other and turned to stare at the wall opposite them.  Tears dripped down onto the pillow beneath him as he tried to explain.    

“…I…  I-I’m not… _right…_ ” Bel whispered.  He clenched his hands, knowing he _did_ like Fran – the boy was relatable, quiet, and didn’t irritate him.  He was the only one in Varia he could tolerate, as hard as it was for him to admit that.  “…I…  I’ll just hurt you…”

Fran disregarded those words and placed his lips shyly against Bel’s for a few moments.  When he pulled away, he whispered, “…I-I like it when we kiss…”

Bel felt the urge to hit Fran rush through him; it was one of the reasons he didn’t want to be this close to the boy as he knew he could get uncontrollably violent at times, and he’d be lying if he said there wasn’t something about Fran that made him want to protect the younger.  He didn’t want to hurt the other – not now, not for a while, but he knew that it would be inevitable for him to do something; he was… sick, and he _knew_ that better than anyone.

“Fran…” Bel ran his thumb over the younger’s pale cheek.  “…Fran, the prince…  I… don’t want… to hurt you…  Squalo and Xanxus… they say I’m dangerous…”

Fran was silent as he pulled away to sit on the side of the bed.  He swung his legs back and forth as he tried to convey his feelings into words, but it was harder than he had anticipated at first; how was he supposed to explain the things that went through his head that were influenced by his past?  “…When I was… with _them…_ I was always scared…  They made me do things I didn’t want to…  I hated them… I never felt safe with them…  B-but… when we kiss…  I _do_ feel safe…  And maybe I’m wrong, but… it felt as if you… c-cared about me… when you didn’t… touch me _there_ yesterday…”

“…Froggy…  I’m sick…” Bel curled into a ball in a desperate attempt to hide his fragile being – but he knew it was pointless; he knew Fran saw him as the weak, pathetic boy he truly was  .  “…I’m so sick…  You wouldn’t want someone like me…  W-when you’re older you’ll understand, but…  I’ll hurt you, and… you’d eventually start to hate me if I let you into my life…”

Fran shook his head.  “You’re… the first person… I’ve felt safe around…  I want to be your boyfriend.  I…  We both hurt, so…  I know it won’t always be easy, but… maybe we can make it work.  Please?  Can we at least try…?”

Bel sighed.  He truly wasn’t in the mood for arguing, but he knew that Fran wasn’t going to quit any time soon and if they kept going, the blond was going to snap.  He knew that it would be easier to just go along with it and see where it went – who knows?  Maybe Fran would get bored of him after a day or two anyway.   “…Okay.  …But don’t say the prince didn’t warn you, Froggy.  And what Xanxus and Squalo said yesterday; the prince isn’t ready to do anything more than kissing, so don’t ask him to do more.”

Fran cocked his head to the side.  “But what else do boyfriends do than kiss?  Is there more?”

“Yeah, but we won’t do it for a long time so don’t ask me!” Bel flicked Fran’s nose playfully before he wrapped his arms around the boy and pulled him closer.  He knew he was only supposed to be going along with it to make Fran shut up, so why did he enjoy having someone he could hold like this?  He didn’t understand.  “I’m bored already.  Let’s go into town today.”

Fran snuggled in closer to Bel’s body as he nodded.  “Okay.  But what do you do in town?”

“Are you serious?  You can’t really be trying to tell me you’ve never gone into town before.” Bel was incredulous, as if he had just been told his best friend was really an alien; how could someone not know what it was like to be in town?  It was something even little _kids_ knew what to expect!  If _Bel_ knew what town was about, then _everyone_ should know because the blond rarely left the _house_ , let alone went into town!    

“I haven’t, senpai.” The teal-haired child frowned.  “Is that… bad…?”

Bel frowned.  He took a deep breath as he tried to calm himself; he should have known better than to lump Fran in on _his_ level because maybe Bel’s carers were far from perfect, but at least _they_ took him into town when he wasn’t being too difficult.  But _Fran…_ From what he had been told, Fran had never been out of a cage until he was taken away.  He almost whispered his reply to the question. “…No.  I’m going to have a shower…”

Fran tilted his head further as he was pushed from the other’s lap so that Bel could leave the room in a hurry.  He sighed, certain that he had done something wrong again; he always seemed to make trouble where Bel was involved. 

When Bel slammed the bathroom door closed behind him, he didn’t take his clothes off; he just turned the hot water tap until he couldn’t it turn it any further and then stepped in under the steaming hot water.  He whimpered at the scalding temperature, but he made no move to get out from under it; he instead started scratching at the skin hidden beneath his saturated clothing as he fought against his tears. 

The blond shivered as hands of the past ghosted over his body and, with a hiccup, he let his legs drop weightlessly to the ground as his back rested against the glass behind him.  He sobbed as he pulled his knees to his chest in a futile attempt to comfort himself, but no matter what he did, all he could do was remember a past he hated with all his being.  Even scrubbing his skin so raw with soap that it bled did nothing to soothe him; he could only sit there and cry as he tried his best to rid himself of the blood and filth he _knew_ still clung to his flesh from all those years ago, and he could only wish that Squalo hadn’t put a temperature lock on the shower because otherwise he might have finally been able to succeed in burning his skin off so that he would never have to feel hands that had long since rotted all over him again. 

**_~~Fran~~_ **

The first adult Fran had found after venturing out of his room was Lussuria.  The chef had been cleaning the kitchen before lunch, but he stopped when the boy tugged at his shirt.

The child looked at his feet as he spoke in an anxious voice. “…I think I did something wrong again…”

Lussuria knelt to be at eye level with Fran.  He hummed in encouragement, trying to get the boy to open up to him; he knew that this was unusual for the other to tell people what was bothering him, so he did his best to be as welcoming as possible.  “What is it, Fran-chan?”

“…I think I made Bel-senpai mad, but I don’t know how…”

“Oh, hun, Bel gets mad very easily,” Lussuria tried to comfort.  “He doesn’t have any friends here and he won’t talk to us when he’s having a bad day.  I’m sure you did nothing wrong; he might just have been grumpy because of something else.”

Fran nodded.  He pulled away so that he could sit at the table and wait for Bel to get out of the shower, but the blond was taking so long, he considered the possibility his new boyfriend might have fallen down the drain.

Lussuria was glad the kid had quietened down so easily; it was nice to see Fran sitting so patiently, so he had no concerns about getting back to cleaning; he was sure that if the other needed him again, Fran would let him know.

But when the child did indeed gather his attention again, he wasn’t prepared for the words that had come from the younger.

“What do boyfriends do together?”

Lussuria stiffened at the unexpected question; did Bel have something to do with this question…?  He wouldn’t be surprised if the blond did…  He turned back to face Fran and asked in a cautious tone, “Why do you ask, dear…?”

“Because Bel-senpai and I are boyfriends, but he says he isn’t ready to do more.  He wouldn’t tell me what else we can do together apart from kissing, so I was curious.”

The man chuckled at the explanation, thinking that heh ad been wrong in blaming Bel and that Fran had just heard the terminology somewhere else and was mistaking Bel for his boyfriend – after all, he knew the blond well enough to know that Bel wasn’t interested in dating just yet, and he found it hard to believe the other would agree so out of the blue.  He put the cloth he had been holding down on the bench as he moved to sit at the table with Fran.  “Hun, boyfriends do lots together.  There is kissing, and then there is touching.  The last step, once both parties are ready, is sex.”

“What is sex?”

“Sex is –“

“Voi!”

Fran jumped when hands slapped over his ears and pulled him away from Lussuria.  He didn’t need to look behind him to know that it was Squalo who had grabbed him.

“Don’t put ideas in the kid’s head, Gaylord!”

“Aww, but Squ-chan, he’s going to want to do that stuff eventually; we might as well teach him now while he’s still young and innocent~”

Fran pulled away from Squalo’s hands and looked behind him at the man.  He noticed the embarrassed blush on the long-haired male’s cheeks, but he didn’t understand; what was there to be embarrassed about? 

But before the child could question any further, Squalo grabbed him and carried him out of the kitchen.  The man mumbled to himself as they travelled up the stairs, and he stopped only once he had kicked open the door to Fran and Bel’s bedroom and dumped the kid on his bed.

“Don’t ask Gaylord those things ever again,” Squalo mumbled as he turned to leave.  “You’ll hear much more than you want to and be traumatised for life.”

Fran just blinked, watching as Squalo slammed the door behind him.    


	15. Chapter 15

Fran had been content with Mammon sitting on his head as he sat on his bed waiting for Bel.  He had been waiting quite a while, longer than what he thought a shower should have taken – up until he had been taken from the people who had abused him, he had never had the luxury of taking care of his hygienic needs, so he was still learning how long it usually took to clean one’s self. 

It was only once the men in uniforms had taken him from his cage and given him to the nice lady who wore a nice dress did he even realise there was such a thing as cleanliness; he had thought it was natural to smell and be covered in filth until he was given his first bath by the same lady.  Fran hadn’t liked the bath; being naked was too exposing and the hands that were separated from his skin by the cloth between them reminded him of the men he had lived with. 

Fran hadn’t had many baths after that, not liking the fear it provoked in him. 

When the bedroom door opened, Fran looked up and found Bel was walking back into the bedroom in a dazed manner.  He frowned; he couldn’t be certain, but he didn’t think someone was still supposed to wear their clothing while they were in the shower; the saturated clothing that left small puddles of water on the floorboards that hung from Bel’s body was a dead giveaway. 

Bel was silent as he crossed the room and leant down to reach under his bed so that he could pull out a clean change of clothes.  He turned to Fran briefly before he spoke in a quivering voice. “C-can you leave so the prince can dress…?”

Fran nodded.  He knew what it was like to want to keep his body hidden, so he didn’t mind the request; he understood, after all.  He left the room without argument and closed the door quietly behind him so that he could sit against the rickety wood as he waited.  He didn’t know how much time had passed, but once he started scratching against the hardwood floor, Tsuna and Gokudera came up the stairs and into the corridor.  The brunet greeted him cheerfully as they passed by, but the silver-haired male shot Fran a filthy glare. 

“Disgusting frog…” Fran heard the silver-haired teenager mutter under his breath.  There was more to the sentence but he hadn’t been able to catch it.

 _Mammon’s not disgusting… He’s Bel-senpai’s best friend…_ Fran reached up to pat the frog’s head as he listened to Tsuna gently reprimanding the teen before they turned into Lambo’s bedroom.  Now Fran was getting a tad worried; did it really take so long to change clothes?   _Maybe I should look just to make sure he’s okay,_ Fran thought.  _…B-but what if he’s fine and not dressed?  …Maybe he’s sick?  Maybe that’s why he took so long in the shower._

Fran got to his feet and placed his hand on the door handle, ready to turn it.  He wanted to just peek in and check that Bel was alright; he didn’t need to watch.  He opened the door a crack so that he could look in, seeing that the blond had taken all of his clothes off by now; his wet ones were dumped by the bed, but he hadn’t made any move to dress into something clean; he was just standing there, staring down at the floor.  The younger could see Bel’s body was scarred from head to toe, some looking old with age and some new.  It was a familiar sight, but he had never seen it on another person before; he had been covered in bruises and cuts in his old daily life, and it hurt to see Bel resembling him. 

The child watched as Bel picked up underwear from the bed and held it for a few seconds before he slipped it on.  He went to reach out for another article of clothing, but as if he had been stopped by some unknown force, he drew his arm back and hugged himself tight as he started to shake.  He looked around at his surroundings as if he were searching for someone he was certain would be there if he looked hard enough, and then a loud sob sounded through the room.  Fran knew he had seen enough; there had been a reason Bel hadn’t wanted him in there and it just wasn’t because he was shy. 

The younger sighed as he shut the door once more and slid back down it as he rested; he would just have to wait until Bel was able to compose himself again - but almost as soon as Fran’s bottom had hit the floor, Chrome had left her room and was heading towards the seafoam-green-haired boy once she caught sight of him.

“W-what are you doing, F-fran…?” Chrome asked gently. 

“Bel-senpai had a shower,” Fran explained.  “He wanted me to leave so he could change his clothes.”

A slither of sympathy crossed violet eyes before Chrome nodded her head in understanding.  Fran had a feeling the girl knew all about Bel’s shower issues, but before he could ask anything about it, she spoke again.  “A-are you doing anything today…?”

“Senpai wanted to go into town.  He wants me to come because we’re boyfriends now.”

Chrome smiled shyly as she blushed and looked away.  “I-I see…  Do you have any m-money…?”  She reached into her pocket when Fran shook his head so that she could withdraw her small leather purse.  She pulled a note and some coins out of a pocket and handed it to her friend.  “Y-you can have this…”

Fran blinked as he looked down at the money.  He knew about money and its purposes, but he had never really seen it before, much less be given it; he was honestly surprised, not knowing what to think.  “Oh…  T-thank you…”

Chrome nodded as she leaned forward and pressed her lips to Fran’s cheek.  “There’s fifteen dollars…  That’s what I have left, so buy something nice…”

“Okay.” Fran slipped the money into his pants pocket, wanting to be extra careful so he didn’t lose any of it; he didn’t know how often he would get any money so he wanted to keep what he could.

“Have fun, Fran.” Chrome smiled once more before she left so that that she could return to her own room.  Fran watched her leave, and just as the girl closed her bedroom door behind her, the one he was leaning against opened and he tumbled backwards onto Bel’s feet. 

Bel had a smile on his face, but it was taking everything he had to force it to stay there; he was hiding his depression like he always did, and right now, he was wondering how long it would take for his façade to break.  “The prince is ready.”

Fran wasn’t sure if he should trust the smile or not after seeing Bel just minutes ago, but he didn’t question it; if Bel had weird mood swings, he could understand that.  “Chrome gave me money. Can I spend it?”

Bel nodded.  “Let’s go.  Hold my hand, Froggy.”

Fran’s little hand became encased in Bel’s as he was led down to the first floor and out into the backyard where Squalo was tending to the flowerbeds just by the deck.  The man looked up at their approach, and the child didn’t miss the wince Squalo made upon noticing the younger two were holding hands. 

“Froggy and I are going into town,” Bel told the white-haired male as he pulled the smaller boy against him.  “The prince wants money.”

“Voi, stupid brat…” Squalo grumbled to himself as he dropped his gardening shears and reached into his back pocket for his wallet.  He shoved a handful of notes at the two kids before he returned to what he was doing.  “I want what’s left of it back.  And take the bus.”

“The prince doesn’t take peasant transport,” Bel growled.  “He’d rather walk.”

“I said take the bus, Bel.” Squalo’s eyes darted over to Fran for a split second as concern flashed through them.  “I don’t want Fran walking the streets at his age.”

Bel stuck his nose up in the air as he got ready to protest again but, when Squalo stomped angrily to his feet, he raised his hands in protest as he frowned nervously. 

“Voi, I’ll walk you to the fucking bus stop and watch you get on if I have to!” Squalo roared. 

Fran hid behind Bel at the outburst, still unused to the man’s bi-polar attitude.  He watched Squalo with wary eyes as his boyfriend finally gave in and agreed to use the bus, glad to leave the gardener behind; he didn’t think he wanted the long-haired man to follow them out of the yard.

“Come on, Froggy.”  Bel tugged the kid over to the side of the house so that he could open the gate instead of using the front door; he wasn’t in the mood for talking to anyone else, after all.  It only took a few minutes for them to arrive at the bus stop, and though the next bus wasn’t due for another ten minutes, Bel was rather content to sit on the bench with Fran sat on his lap, the child swinging his skinny legs back and forth in an attempt to amuse himself.

 _I wonder if I did the right thing by accepting him…_ Bel sighed as he wrapped his arms around the kid and kissed the corner of Fran’s lips.  _What if I hurt him…?  I…  He’s the only one in my life I just don’t want to hurt…  Why is that…?  Do I… truly love him…?  Even if I do, what if I hurt him…?  I…  I’ll never be free of my scars, no matter how hard I try, no matter the amount of pretending I’m fine…_

 _Fran…  I’m scared of losing you…  And I’m the kind of coward who’d never tell you that to your face…  For now, while I can, I want to pretend I’m okay – maybe I will be, who knows? – but I need your help…  I need you to keep the pieces together…  No one else knows what it’s like to be in this much pain…  How hard it is to stay sane…  They watch as I lose myself to the trauma and then they judge when I lash out in fear…  But you’ve never left… never watched… never_ judged…  _You understand…_

_So just let me hold you and smile while I can because I don’t know how much longer I can go on faking that everything’s going to be okay…  I love you, we both know that’s the truth…  Just please… when I inevitably hurt you, please don’t leave me…  I’m scared of being alone… because I always have been…_

_Let me learn what it’s like to love and trust in someone and not be hurt in return… Help me face this monster that’s turning me into my father…  I don’t want to be him…  Save me, Fran…  Please, save me…_

 

 


	16. Chapter 16

**There will most likely be a time skip next chapter as I want to get past most of the depression and stuff as it gets repetitive after a while and I think you’ve seen enough to mostly get the gist of the characters anyways.**

‘Town’ was much bigger than it had looked to Fran when he had been in the car that was bringing him to the Varia Orphanage the first time.  His emerald eyes were wide as he stared all around him, having just gotten off the bus with Bel; he couldn’t believe how differently it was to his new life within the orphanage.  There were people all around them, with lots of buildings and cars everywhere, and the road looked much longer when he was standing still.  The people who were passing by them looked to be happy as they talked to the people they were with, and the atmosphere was completely different than it was with the Varia – he couldn’t explain it, but back at his new home, it felt so negative. 

But this…  This was different, and he would prefer it any day.    

“Are you alright?” Bel squeezed Fran’s hand. 

Fran looked up and nodded.  He raised his hand and pointed to their left.  When he spoke, his usually quiet voice quivered in excitement.  “L-let’s go this w-way, senpai.”

For once, Bel was placid as he was tugged along.  “Do you even know where you’re going, Froggy?”

“No, but… t-there’s so much to look at.” Fran stopped pulling at Bel and instead turned to look up at him with pleading eyes.  “C-can we go everywhere that’s fun?”

Bel, who was in a rather good mood at the minute, nodded.  “There’s a game arcade not far from here.”

“Game… arcade…?” Fran’s eyes clouded with confusion.  He tilted his head before he asked, “What’s that?”

Bel leant down and kissed Fran’s forehead.  “You’ll see.”

Fran let the teenager lead the way.  He kept close to the older male as he tried to look at everything he was surrounded by at the same time; it was all so new to him and he was mesmerised by the simplest of things, the entire concept alien until just a few minutes before. 

But then, Fran’s eye was caught by something that both upset him and yet intrigued him.  He halted and pulled Bel to a stop as he pointed at the pet shop they were standing in front of.  He was mesmerised by what he could see in the window, and he swore his heart was breaking once again.  He looked up at Bel with unfocused eyes and whispered, “Bel-senpai…  Why are they in cages…?”

“What?” Bel turned to look where Fran was now pointing.  He couldn’t say he cared much for the animals the younger seemed upset about as he had never liked anything other than frogs and minks – he would have thought his hate towards the majority of living things was obvious with the amount of pets he had stabbed for no reason other than being there for ‘target practise’.  “What about them?”

Fran wasn’t sure, but he thought he might be tearing up now.  “They’re in _cages…_ ”

Bel, having never learnt love and affection, just couldn’t bring himself to even try to sympathise.  They were just stupid _animals,_ even lower than people - how the _fuck_ could someone even want such a disgusting creature in their lives?

 _But Fran’s different…_ Bel looked down at the boy he was able to care for.  _He knows what it’s like to be in a cage…  He’s not disgusting or stupid – just hurt.  And so young.  Fuck… he must think those things have feelings like him._

“Froggy, they’re just animals,” Bel tried to soothe.  He ran his hand through teal hair, really not knowing what to do in this situation; all he knew was that he didn’t like seeing Fran in this state, and he wanted to be able to fix it.  “They don’t matter.”

“Y-yes, they do!” Fran loudly protested as he pulled away and stuck his bottom lip out.  “They’re…  It’s so scary being in a cage…”

 _I have no idea what it’s like to be in one of those,_ the blond acknowledged.  _I do know what it’s like to be scared, though…  Is it really that frightening being locked up in such a small space?_

“H-haven’t you…” Fran moved back to cuddle into his boyfriend, whispering softly, “…haven’t you ever been put somewhere and not allowed to leave…?”

Bel felt as if he was slowly understanding what Fran was saying now; he didn’t know what it was like to be caged, but locked in a room he couldn’t get out of?  _Yeah…  Plenty of times…  Locked away in that closet until Father wanted to fuck me…  And those stupid fucking foster parents… locked me in the bathroom all day every day so they didn’t have to deal with me…  Then there was that sleeze-fuck of a bastard who only wanted me for the money…  Snap his annoying bird’s neck and he thinks he can keep me locked in the pantry…_

“Bel-senpai?”

Bel shifted from his thoughts and looked down at Fran.  He carefully brushed a lock of green hair out of emerald eyes and hummed softly.  “What is it?”

“Can I…” Fran’s eyes darted to the ground as he looked at his feet.  “…C-can I… go in there…?”

Bel nodded.  “If you want to, Froggy.”

The blond watched as Fran hesitantly approached the building, almost as if he was too afraid to go in despite having asked.  The teenager sighed as he moved back to the boy’s side so that he could guide him in.  Once they had crossed through the doorway, Fran was quick to run to the cages and put his face up against the metal bars as he stuck his tiny arm through the gap, trying to pat whatever was in there.

Bel walked back to Fran’s side and ducked so he could peek into the cage.  _A dog?  Yuck.  I should turn it into a cactus._

Fran laughed when the puppy licked his hands.  It was a joyous sound the blond hadn’t heard from him before, and he couldn’t help but feel a little jealous; only _he_ should hear that sound…  The younger boy’s attention quickly shifted to the kitten that was in the next cage, and Bel could only wish he had a knife; oh, how he detested these filthy creatures…

“Touching the animals is not allowed.”

Fran’s shoulders tensed and his body froze at the unfamiliar voice.  He quickly pulled his arms back to his side as he pressed himself against Bel and stared at the floor in submission; if he made himself look smaller, the newcomer might leave him alone.

Bel wrapped his arms around Fran; while it was true he himself found no interest in these _things,_ Fran had been enjoying himself until one of the workers had approached them.  His brunet hair hung in his face as he gave the two stern looks – quickly changing into one of disgust when he realised the relationship between them.

“He’s not hurting anyone.” Bel struggled to keep himself calm; he didn’t want to deal with the police again right now, after all.  “Just let him pat them some more.”

“It’s not allowed, _fag…_ ”

Bel, who had been ready to leave Fran’s side and show that fuck _why_ he had been in and out of foster homes and orphanages, quickly stopped when he felt the child’s body shudder violently against him.  He could see the way emerald eyes had widened as if Fran was going into shock, and he was _scared;_ what was happening?  Was Fran okay?  Was it his fault?  So many questions but no _answers._

“Froggy?” Bel placed his hands on trembling shoulders and pushed carefully on the tiny body to see if Fran could move by himself.  He was surprised when the kid started walking, as if it had been a cue he had long since reacted automatically to.  He guided the younger out of the shop with no incident, but he was worried; what was going through Fran’s head right now?   

And then, as quickly as it had begun, Fran seemed to snap out of it.  He continued staring at the ground as his body trembled, gathering the attention of bystanders.  He didn’t pull away when Bel pulled him into a hug but the teenager had heard his startled whimper. 

“What’s wrong, Froggy?” Bel whispered.  He leant down to press his lips to Fran’s cheek.  “You’re scared, aren’t you?”

Fran nodded.  He raised his arms in silence, wanting to be picked up; he wasn’t feeling right, and he needed comfort.  He wrapped his arms around Bel’s neck when the older male did so, trying his hardest to block out memories he hated, but they were overwhelming and all he could do was whisper to the older male.  “…He called us… _t-that…_ T-they…  _T-they_ always told me I was a fag…  Does that mean they were right…?”

Bel rubbed his hand against the younger’s back, not quite sure what he was doing; he was trying to mimic what Squalo and Lussuria would do for him on his bad days, hoping it would work – but he doubted it, because he found that whenever they did that for him, it only made him feel more distressed.  “Froggy is _not_ a fag.  The prince promises that Froggy is a froggy and that’s all he is.  _The prince’s_ Froggy.”

Fran nodded.  He didn’t want to think about things that were upsetting him; he wanted to focus on this new experience instead.  He rubbed his cheek against Bel’s as he forced his attention away from his upsetting thoughts and said, “Senpai, I still want to see what a game arcade is.  Are we still going there?”

“Of course.” Bel felt as if a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders; his Froggy was smiling again and that in turn made him feel happy.  “You have to help me win tickets; there’s a frog teddy there I’ve been wanting.”

“Tic…kets…?  Wow, senpai, there’s lots to learn about ‘Town’.  And do you really like frogs that much?”

“Hey, I love frogs!” Bel poked Fran’s nose, eliciting a giggle from the younger.  “You haven’t seen my froggy pyjamas Luss bought me for my birthday.”

“Hey, Senpai, when’s your birthday?”

“December twenty-second.” The boy puffed his chest out as he continued on.  “The prince will be seventeen.”

Fran smiled and nestled in closer.  “I want to help you get the… t… tick…ets…  It will be my birthday present for you.”

Bel rested his face in teal hair, chuckling happily.  _God, Froggy…  I…  I really love you…  I wish I knew how to tell you that…  I just hope you can see it._


	17. Chapter 17

None of the workers at the Varia had been able to believe just how much progress Bel had made in the year-and-half Fran had been here for; the blond was calmer than he had ever been, and he was much easier to care for, too; he was no longer angry and aggressive all the time, and though he was still very depressed, he wasn’t trying to kill himself or fighting with the other kids.  Fran as well seemed much happier than when he had first arrived; he was coming out of his shell and was starting to interact with the others easier and less fearfully than he used to.

It was progress all of the workers were happy to see, but even so, they all knew they were about to hit another bump in the road, one that they were sure could potentially ruin all progress both kids had made; while the two boys were upstairs together, the workers had gathered together to discuss their futures as they couldn’t ignore the fact that Bel’s eighteenth birthday was just around the corner. 

“Just because he’s almost an adult doesn’t mean he’s ready to be out there by himself…” Tsuna frowned at the thought of all the progress Bel had made depleting without any support; it would happen, and they _all_ knew it.  “He’s only just settling down and we all know it’s only because Fran’s here.  We can’t let him take Fran if he decides he wants to go.”

“Voi, the simple thing to do is just keep him here.” Squalo crossed his arms against his chest as if it was that obvious.

“But he’ll be old enough to decide whether or not he wants to go and if he can provide suitable arrangements for his own living, we can’t stop him,” Lussuria pointed out. 

“Just let the trash go,” Xanxus added in.  “If he wants to stay or go, it’s his business.  Nothing we can do about it.”

Squalo knew that there was no arguing with Xanxus, so he quickly moved the subject along.  “What about Fran?  We can’t let him go with Bel.”

“Maybe we should talk to Fran and see if he’d be happy staying with Mukuro and Chrome if Bel does leave?” Tsuna suggested. 

“He’ll kick up a fuss,” Squalo pointed out.  “They’re basically joined at the hip now.”

“Squalo’s right, dear,” The chef agreed.  “When I go in to check on them at night, they’re always sleeping together in Bel’s bed.  I tried to tell Fran he needs to sleep in his _own_ bed but he started crying and protested.”

“Voi!  Gaylord!  You let them get too close too fast!”  Squalo was unable to admit that he also had a role to play in this; he hated knowing how it was _him_ who had said to let the two brats do what they wanted because it had steadily evolved into something none of them had any idea on stopping.  “Did you _not_ notice you’ve been letting a ten year old play dating with a seventeen-year-old?  And when Bel turns eighteen, what are you going to do about that?  He’s still going to want to be with Fran – and it’s far from legal, even right in the beginning.”

Tsuna, who had always been nervous around the ever-unpredictable Squalo, quietly excused himself to the bathroom, leaving the others to deal with the silver-haired male’s yelling. 

“Calm down, hun.” Lussuria’s hands were raised as he tried to calm the other, but Squalo was upset, and all he could do was bounce the blame on everyone else.  “All of us are at fault here. We just need to try and wean them off each other.”

At this point, Xanxus pushed himself off his red-cushioned chair and stood up.  He stretched for a few moments before he said, “Handle this yourselves, trash.  I’ve got a meeting to attend.”

No one said anything as the man left the room; they instead waited for Tsuna to come back.  When the brunet returned, the first thing he did was question where Xanxus was. 

“Boss went out,” Squalo stated. “Gaylord came up with a solution, by the way.”

“Oh, that’s good.  What is it?” Tsuna turned to look at the oldest of the trio.

“Wean them from each other,” Lussuria repeated himself.  “If Bel’s truly ready to leave, we’ll know once we see how he copes without Fran.”

The brunet nodded.  “How are we going to do that?”

“Just keep them separated.  I’ll have Bel help me with the cooking so I can keep an eye on him.”

“But what about Fran?” Worry seeped into Tsuna’s soft voice as he tried to imagine how the teal-haired child would cope; it was no secret Fran was so attached to Bel, he couldn’t function properly without the blond.

“He can help me around the house,” Squalo volunteered.  “I can deal with him better than that little shit.”

Tsuna nodded in understanding; Bel was very difficult to take care of and Squalo’s short temper didn’t make it any easier for him.  “I’m taking Lambo, Gokudera-kun and Ryohei out to meet up with Yamamoto.  Should I tell the boys you two are looking for them?”

“If you may, hun.  Tell Bel that Mama Luss needs help in the kitchen.”

“And tell Fran what-fucking-ever.” Squalo pushed himself off the couch he had been sitting on, sick of the conversation.  “I’ll be wherever the fuck I am.”

Tsuna watched as Squalo left before he smiled at Lussuria and said, “I’ll tell them now.” 

**_~~Bel and Fran~~_ **

Bel sat on his bed with his back resting against the wall as he held Fran on his lap.  He was reading a book to his boyfriend since Fran, who had never been taught, didn’t know how to read, and to be honest, he kind of liked the feeling of being needed for something – it gave him purpose he had otherwise been without his whole life. 

“And then the ugly duckling-” Bel was cut off by Fran’s curious voice.

“Senpai, why does everyone treat the duckling like he’s ugly?” There was a look in Fran’s eyes Bel had long-since become accustomed to; empathy. 

“I don’t know, Froggy,” Bel replied back in a soft tone.  He leant down and pressed his lips to smaller ones before he spoke again.  “The prince knows what you’re thinking and he thinks you have a kind heart.”

Fran smiled, knowing it was very hard for Bel to acknowledge these things openly.  He snuggled back into the other’s chest as he waited for the blond to start reading again. 

“And then the ugly duckling – really?” Bel glared at the door that was being opened, frustrated that his time with the younger was being ruined; couldn’t he just sit here with Fran in peace?  “Whoever that is had better fuck off right now or the prince will turn you into a cactus.”

Tsuna was the one to poke his head into the room with an apologetic look in his eyes.  “Sorry, Bel, but Lussuria wants you down in the kitchen.”

Bel made a strangled whining sound as he buried his face into the crook between Fran’s neck and shoulder.  He bit down on the skin and growled possessively as Fran moaned; he had come to resent when people would get in between he and his boyfriend.  When he looked back at Tsuna, he snarled, “Tell him the prince is _busy.”_

The brunet blushed at the scene before him, but he shook his head anyway, knowing he had to get them away from each other because as predicted, Bel’s hands started to roam his younger partner’s body suggestively next, and he _knew_ this was one of the reasons this had to _stop._

“Belphegor, this is important.” Tsuna had to put his foot down on this matter, especially when Fran let out a squeak as fingers rubbed against his chest; he couldn’t let this go on any longer – it had gone on long enough and all it had done was allow Fran to experience things he shouldn’t have at his young age.  “Luss needs your help in the kitchen.”

Bel sighed.  He knew the brunet wasn’t about to give up, and that it would only cause a headache if he continued to protest because then Squalo would come in to scream at him, too.  He pushed Fran off his lap and stood up.  “Come on, then, Froggy.  Let’s go see what Gaylord wants.”

“Fran needs to stay here.” It was rare for Tsuna to assert himself against the kids, but Bel was one of those cases where if he let the blond walk over him once, Bel would only keep doing it again and again and would get aggressive when stood up against.    

Bel growled again and crossed his arms against his chest.  “Then the prince won’t go.”

“ _Belphegor!”_ Tsuna hated shouting at the kids but sometimes it was needed.  “Do as you’re told!”

“I am a prince!” Bel yelled back stubbornly.  “You can’t tell me what to do!”

“Bel…” Tsuna sighed.  He reached up to rub at his face; sometimes the boy really tired him out.  “…Bel, Luss wants you to help him, and Squalo needs Fran’s help.”

“Why can’t _you_ do it, peasant?”

“Because I’m leaving with the other kids.  No one else will be here.”

Bel grumbled before he turned around and pulled Fran’s body into his.  He crushed his lips against smaller ones as he demanded entrance; he wasn’t going anywhere without a kiss first.  When lips parted to let him in, he ravaged the hot cavern as his dominating characteristics highlighted from his almost-aggressive manner of kissing.

Tsuna could only watch with horrified eyes, not knowing what to do.  _This needs to stop…  S-should I say anything?  Pull them apart?  What do I do?_

The brunet didn’t need to say or do anything as Bel pulled away when he knew Fran needed air just a few seconds later; the kid’s lungs weren’t strong enough to be able to kiss as long as his lover could. 

“I’ll see you soon, Froggy.” Bel was placid as small arms wrapped around his middle briefly before Fran went off in search of Squalo.  When the blond turned to look up at the Varia worker, he glared hatefully.  “You’re a real ass, stupid peasant.”

Tsuna didn’t get a chance to say anything back as the blond was already storming off towards the stairwell, cursing under his breath.  _No wonder Squalo volunteered for Fran…  Good luck getting him to listen, Lussuria._

**_~~Kitchen~~_ **

Lussuria could hear the tell-tale rampage of Bel’s approach a mile away despite the noise he was making as he pulled pots and pans out of the cupboard.  He looked up when the kitchen door slammed against the wall, and he couldn’t help but smile at the death-glare he _knew_ was there; he knew Bel’s moodiness _too_ well.

“Welcome, hun.” Lussuria gestured to the pantry.  “Mind getting me some of the ingredients?  The list is on the counter.”

Bel stomped towards the pantry, still uttering hateful words beneath his breath.  He ripped the pantry door open before slamming it shut again once he had grabbed what he needed and then he turned to face Lussuria.  He was smart, and he knew there would be no reason for him and Fran to be separated like this; both Lussuria and Squalo were very independent and the only time they had help was when one of the other kids asked to do chores for their allowance. 

“Why the fuck am I here?” Bel spat.

Lussuria was not one to beat around the bush.  He put the pot he decided he wanted to use on the counter before he spun around so he could meet Bel’s look of hate.  “You’ve been spending so much time with little Fran, and it’s not healthy for either of you.”

“What do _you_ know, peasant?”

“Bel, I’m much older than you.  I’ve had a lot more experience than you have.  It isn’t good to be spending so much time with Fran.”

“It’s because he’s young, isn’t it?” Bel’s hands itched to pull a knife out from the drawer he was standing next to and use it against the man; he knew a lecture was on its way and he didn’t want to hear it at all.  “That bitchy shark and the boss have already been on my back about this.”

“All we’re trying to say is that he’s so very young, he can’t possibly know what he wants and needs.” Lussuria turned his back to Bel as he went about his business.  “You’re doing him damage with letting him experience things he shouldn’t yet.”

“He’s _fine.”_ Bel’s snarl was possessive.  “He’s happy with the things we do.  They’re not hurting him.”

“Hun.” Lussuria’s cheerful voice turned serious as he swung back around.  “It _is_ hurting him.  Do you not remember all the things your father did?”

Bel’s voice became low, defensive.  If he were a cat, his fur would have bristled.  “That’s _different…”_

“No, it isn’t.  Tell me, Bel.  Did your father ever touch Rasiel?”

 _He was_ good _to that fuck…_ Bel thought grimly.  He felt a familiar shudder of fear rolling down his spine as he thought of things he hadn’t thought about for a while now.  _Rasiel was only too happy to be touched because_ he _was never_ raped.

“What difference does _that_ make?”

“Why do you think your brother did what he did to you?” Lussuria’s voice had become gentle now.  “It wasn’t what _he_ did wrong, it’s what your _father_ did wrong.  If Rasiel had never been touched the way he was, I highly doubt he would have done what he did.”

“Don’t you _dare_ try and compare that with Fran!” Bel shouted.  “You’re trying to tell me I’m a monster, too, aren’t you?!  Well, I don’t _want_ to be!  Why can’t you just leave me alone!?”

Lussuria moved forward and pulled Bel into a tight hug.  He rubbed the teenager’s back soothingly as he tried to hush the younger, hating the way the blond’s body trembled in his hold.  “Bel, you just have to know that Fran is too young to be touched the way you touch him.  Look at what it did to you and Rasiel…”

“It’s different…” Bel whispered, almost as if he was trying to convince _himself._ “…It’s…  It’s not the same…  I’m not hurting him, and he likes it…”

“Bel, honey, I know it hurts, but you can’t use Fran to make yourself feel better.  Remember what he’s been through has left its own scars.  You might not realise it, but you might be hurting him in a way he doesn’t know how to tell you.  Just let him have some time by himself so he can learn to live without you.”

“…I didn’t mean to hurt him…” Bel whispered back.  He felt hot tears well up in his eyes as he finally realised what Lussuria was trying to convey; he was hurting the only person he didn’t _want_ to hurt.  “…H-he always seemed happy…”

“I’m sure you didn’t mean to, hun,” Lussuria soothed.  “He loves you very much, and I know you love him back.  But you need to wait until he’s older before you touch each other.  Let him enjoy life while he can.”

Bel nodded back weakly.  He fidgeted uncomfortably as his mind became plagued with thoughts he couldn’t quite handle.  _I…  I never asked him to have sex with me because I was sure_ that _would hurt him…  I’ve tried so hard to make sure he’s comfortable with everything we do, and not make it painful…  I think I’ve just been selfish…  Putting my needs before his…_

“Should I…” the voice was so sad and tentative, Lussuria was almost sure it wasn’t Bel he was talking to, “…should I stop touching him…?”

Lussuria nodded.  “It would be for the best.  It’s really not good for him to experience this kind of pleasure at his age.  It’s damaging.”

“Okay…”

Lussuria sighed in relief, knowing he had just won an almost-impossible battle with the teenager.  The blond allowed him to hold the younger for a few minutes more before Bel started pushing him away and mumbled something about too much contact.  He watched as the blond wiped at his wet eyes before he turned back to the pantry to help with the food, obviously wanting to keep his pride and act as if nothing had happened. 

 _Thank you for listening, Bel…_ Lussuria didn’t want to bring the subject back up now that Bel was trying to recover.  _I know it’s not easy for you to talk about your father or Rasiel, but you did a good job.  And I’m so glad you’ve listened to what I was trying to say.  I just…  I don’t think I could bear it if anything happened to little Fran because you didn’t realise you were making things worse.  I know that would be devastating for you, and you wouldn’t understand what had happened, just because you loved him.  You’d never trust anyone ever again – I know you well enough to know that._

Lussuria watched as Bel rummaged through the contents of the pantry and paused every now and then to wipe his tears away. 

 _You’re so good to little Fran._ Lussuria smiled at the thought.  _You’ve made him so happy and he in turn with you.  I’ve never seen you truly show your smile for anyone until he came.  You were still so traumatised from your family and had never found anyone you could relate to. I think that’s why you both get along so well – you both understand the pain.  I’m so glad you have each other.  You deserve each other._

 

 


	18. Chapter 18

When Fran trudged tiredly up to his bedroom long after he usually went to bed, he wondered if Bel would already be asleep or not; the blond tended to go to sleep early unless he was kept awake by his busy mind.  He hadn’t particularly enjoyed his time with Squalo, not understanding why the man had taken it upon himself to try and make the younger stay away from Bel; they loved each other, so why was the man telling him he couldn’t be with Bel anymore?

The teal-haired child knew Squalo was up to something; the man had never pried his nose into Fran’s business out of the blue before, but today he had quizzed his charge about everything they did together before – in a rather cruel manner – telling him to stop.  

Fran hadn’t understood why Squalo didn’t want him to play his special game with Bel any longer; though it still made him scared and nervous at times, he liked how good it could feel – how Bel was so gentle with his fragile body unlike _them._

Fran pushed the door to his bedroom open and poked his head inside, finding Bel lying on his bed with his head under the pillow.  His footsteps resounded softly as he padded across the floorboards and seconds later the sound of bed sheets shifting replaced it as the younger pulled himself onto the bed. He snuggled in against Bel’s side once he was under the blankets and lifted the teenager’s arm to wrap it around himself before he closed his eyes, ready for sleep.

Bel, however, had woken once he felt Fran’s body rest against his.  He pulled his head out from under his pillow and blinked at the boy with sleepy eyes.  “You should sleep in your own bed tonight, Froggy…” He mumbled in a voice heavy with sleep. 

“…” Fran didn’t know what to think.  Did this have something to do with Squalo’s questioning earlier?  It was rather odd the two should coincide within a few hours of each other.  “Why?”

Bel placed his head back under his pillow and muttered, “Because the prince said so.”

“But I want to sleep with you…” Fran nestled closer to Bel to emphasise his point.

 _I can’t let him get hurt by me any longer…_ Bel clenched his hands, too tired to put up with this; he had had a long day, and he just wanted to sleep.  He knew he had to get Fran away from him before he blew up.  “Froggy, the prince is tired…  Please, sleep in your bed.”

“Did Lussuria talk to you, too?” Fran questioned, not heeding the warning signs that Bel was about to explode.  He dismissed the shaking of the stronger body as Bel being cold, and the way the bigger hand twitched as if it wanted to reach for something he ignored completely.  “Because Squalo –“

“Fuck off!” Bel raised his hand to his mouth after he had managed to hold back from screaming some more.  He was glad his self-control had improved over the months because it had been a war stopping himself from grabbing the boy and _hurting_ him; he was so tired, so distressed from the day’s events he had barely been able to acknowledge who he was talking to anymore.  He had only realised his mistake once it was too late – and he couldn’t have hated himself more than he did when he noticed the silence he was now drowning in. 

Fran didn’t know what to do.  It was true Bel had shouted at him over their time together, but…  This… this was wrong…  He had just… asked… 

The child climbed off Bel’s bed and crossed the room soundlessly before he clambered into his own unused one.  He slid under the covers and faced the wall, feeling so numb over being yelled at; it reminded him of the time he had found it impossible to freely acknowledge his emotions once he had been taken from the cage.

Bel sat up in bed, knowing he had upset Fran.  “…Hey…” Bel hated how weak his voice sounded.  “…Froggy…?”

“Goodnight, Bel-senpai.” That was the emotionless answer Bel received. 

The blond couldn’t sleep that night.  It had been a few months since he had felt such a strong urge to end his life and, once he heard Fran start to cry and whimper his name in his sleep, he couldn’t help but cry as well.

Bel knew he was a monster but, as hard as he had tried, he hadn’t been able to change.

**_~~The next morning~~_ **

When Fran woke up, he was surprised to see the other’s bed was empty as the blond was certainly not one for getting up early, and the clock on the nightstand in between their beds was flashing six-o-nine.  Fran didn’t want to think about it; he instead slipped out of bed and left the room.  He could still remember the previous night’s events but he didn’t blame Bel; he understood he shouldn’t have pestered him.  He wanted to apologise but, in order to do that, he needed to find where Bel was.

Fran had decided he would check the bathroom that was situated at the end of the hall first, so he knocked on the closed door, not sure if anyone was in there.

“Who is it?” Chrome’s soft voice floated through the door. 

Fran stepped back as the door opened to reveal the older girl dressed and holding a hairbrush.  “I was looking for senpai.”

“I think he’s in the office with Xanxus,” Chrome offered with her usual shy smile.

“Thank you.” Fran turned and walked back down the hall, not wanting to make himself known to Xanxus; the man was frightening at the best of times and, if it turned out Chrome had been wrong and Fran disturbed him in the middle of something…  The boy shuddered as he thought of the consequences.

 _I’ll wait for him in our room,_ Fran decided. 

After Fran entered the bedroom, he was left with the question as to what to do now.  What _was_ there to do?  He felt so lost without Bel by his side, not used to the idea of doing something without him; for the first half of his life he had been unable to do anything to entertain himself by means other than twiddling his thumbs back and forth as he rocked in his cage with his knees hugged tight to his chest - now, finally being free of his hell, he had discovered _fun._ The only problem was that he had grown so used to being with Bel, he didn’t realise how much he depended on the older male to keep him happy and entertained.

The boy’s body started shaking in anxiety as he moved to Bel’s bed and climbed onto it so that he could reach up for the tank Mammon was in.  He was much smaller than the blond and couldn’t quite reach the tank, even on his tiptoes.  When at last his near-blind fumbling had knocked the lid onto the bed, he tried to angle his hand down so that he could feel where Mammon was; the tank was too high up for him to be able to see into it, after all.    

However, despite the boy’s best intentions, Fran held back a gasp as he watched the tank start to tip before it fell to the ground with Mammon still inside.  He covered his ears at the sound of breaking glass that was almost deafening for him.  He was too scared to look but, when he took a chance and glanced at the mess, he saw the way Mammon lay motionlessly underneath the wreckage. 

The child screamed as he realised what he had done; he had just murdered Bel’s best friend.  He continued to scream as he dropped to his knees and hunched over with his hands still covering his ears; the breaking g lass played over and over again in his mind.  He squeezed his eyes shut tight to stop his tears, and even when people entered the room and crowded around, he still did not open them.

It wasn’t until the emerald-eyed boy felt someone pick him up did he look around him. The first thing he saw was that he was in Tsuna’s arms as the brunet tried to get his attention. The second thing he noticed was Bel crouching by the tank as he lifted the tank from Mammon with shaking hands.   His arms went limp as Tsuna gently pulled his hands away from his ears, and he continued to cry as he watched the way Bel lifted the lifeless frog to his chest and cradled it tenderly.

“I-I’m s-sorry…!” Fran choked out, feeling as if he, too, had been crushed by the falling tank.  “S-sorry…!”

Bel turned to look at Fran, but he did not speak.  His mouth was drawn in a flat line, giving no hint as to what he was feeling other than his shaking body. Was he upset?  Angry?  Both?  It was hard to tell.  

Tsuna carried Fran from the room, leaving the other adults to deal with the blond.  Fran’s tears were coming so hard, he cried himself into sleep within minutes.  The brunet took him into the living room and sat on the couch with the teal-haired child in his lap, not wanting to let go of him; he could only imagine what Fran was feeling right now. 

“Fran’s in for it now,” Gokudera muttered, having come to sit with Tsuna after hearing what had happened.  “Frog was deader than anything its owner had mangled to death.  Dumb fuck deserves it.”

Tsuna shook his head.  “Gokudera-kun, don’t speak that way about Bel and Mammon.  It was an _accident,_ we all know that.  And in no way does Bel deserve his pet dying like that.”

“It’s a _frog.”_ Gokudera rolled his eyes. 

“It was his _friend,_ Gokudera-kun.  The only friend Bel had until Fran came along.  Remember when you lost your cat to one of the neighbourhood dogs?  He was your only friend, too, wasn’t he?”

Gokudera’s eyes darkened as he remembered his previous cat.  It was true he had been devastated when Squalo had told him what had happened – and hadn’t Bel reacted in a similar manner to how _he_ had?  Hadn’t the blond belittled _him_ for being so upset over it?

“…Yeah…” Gokudera looked down at his lap, not knowing what to say; now that Tsuna had brought it up, he honestly felt a little bad for what he had just said.  “… I-I’m going upstairs…”

Tsuna nodded in understanding as Gokudera left.  He hoped the silver-haired teenager understood what he was trying to say; there was only so much Bel could take before his thin string of sanity snapped for good.

**_~~Bel~~_ **

_At just six-years-old, Bel had never known what it was like to_ not _fear everyone he came into contact with.  That was why – after being sent into town to do the groceries – he found himself cowering in fear at the man who was trying to talk to him.  He was staring at his feet with his frail arms wrapped around his even frailer body as he trembled violently.  He knew if anyone saw the bruises and scars that adorned his body, his father would hurt him again, so he could only hope the clothing that was far too big for him and the scarf he wore were doing a good enough job of hiding everything._

_In the white-haired man’s hands, he held a small furry creature Bel had never seen before.  He had only caught a glimpse of it to see its fur was white and its body was long, and just from those few seconds, it was already the most beautiful things he had ever seen in his life.  In the back of his damaged mind, Bel wondered if the man was going to hurt it._

_“Why are you so scared?” The stranger knelt before Bel in an attempt to make himself seem less intimidating.  “I won’t hurt you.”_

_“I-I d-don’t trust a-adults…” Bel whispered in a quivering voice.  “E-especially men…”_

_Bel didn’t see the look of understanding that flashed through the man’s eyes; he was too busy hunching to try and make himself look smaller.  The little animal in the lanky man’s hands squeaked, gathering the wary attention of Bel.  A small smile crossed the boy’s face, and the man in turn felt a bit of relief wash through him; he couldn’t fathom what such a tiny boy would be doing out in the middle of the streets in winter, but he had his suspicions, and he wished he could help.  ._

_“Do you like him?  This is a mink.  I rescued him a few days ago.”_

_Bel glanced up at the word ‘rescue’.  He knew what it implied, but he had never imagined he would find someone who would do such a thing; all those long hours of agony he spent wishing someone – something – would rescue him…  A handful of people had seen his suffering but none had cared to help him._

_When the man saw the boy’s interest, he continued.  “His fur was going to be used as clothing.  Do you want him?”_

_Bel’s mouth opened and closed wordlessly; did… what… but… he…_

_“If you want him, you can have him.  I was going to give him to an animal rescue group otherwise.  But you have to promise to take good care of him, okay?”_

_Bel nodded silently.  He reached out with wary, trembling arms and was ready to flee at the slightest sign he was going to be grabbed; he just wanted to be able to protect himself for once.  When he finally wrapped his tiny hands around the creature, he brought it to his chest and held it close as tears leaked down his face in realisation that this man had been the first person in his entire life to show him the slightest bit of kindness._

_The boy didn’t know what to say; he could only nod at the man before he turned around and ran back to the mansion his family lived in.  He had forgotten all about the groceries, so excited about his first friend, and the punishment that was sure to follow hadn’t even crossed his mind; he just wanted to get home and play with the mink._

_It took half an hour to get back to his home but, by the time Bel had stepped into the house, his father was waiting with a furious look on his face.  The boy started to tremble, much more violent than before, and backed against the wall with his head down as he held the mink; he knew what was coming, and he was_ terrified _._

 _“What is this?”_ Slap.  _Furious roars sounded between the slaps._ Slap, slap, slap.  _“You were told to go get groceries – not bring filthy, disgusting_ things _into this house!  Animals are stupid, worthless creatures and should have no place in this world!  How could anyone ever want such disgusting things in their lives?!”_

 _Bel cried as fists pummelled his face, but he was too scared to say or do anything.  He could hear the mink in his arms hissing and squeaking, and he hugged it tighter, hoping he could protect it the way no one had wanted to protect_ him.

_“Give me that!”_

_Bel screamed and protested as the mink was viciously pulled from his arms.  He could only watch in horror as his father wrapped one arm around the mink’s neck and the other held the back legs.  He screams as he watched his father torture the animal were drowned out by the mink’s own squeaks that slowly faded over time until nothing was left but the twisted, broken body of his first and only friend.  He was frozen in terror, unable to move when the corpse of the animal he had so desperately wanted to keep was dropped onto his lap._

_“Don’t ever let me see you playing with such horrid creatures ever again.”_

_Hot tears ran silently down Bel’s cheeks.  He was unable to move; he could only stare down at the body in his lap for several minutes until the reality slammed into him like a cement truck._

_Bel fell onto his side and_ vomited _._

“Bel?”

Bel snapped out of his memories at an unexpected voice.  He looked up from where he had been staring at his knees and whispered in a frightened tone, “…W-what…”

“…Sorry… about your frog…”

Bel blinked.  It really _was_ Gokudera standing in the doorway, right?  Before he could blink to make sure the darkness of his room wasn’t playing tricks on him, the other was gone.

 _Gokudera…_ Bel hadn’t been so confused in a long time.  _…Did Gokudera… apologise for… for Mammon…  He_ hated _Mammon…  But he… apologised…_

What Gokudera would never know was that he had just inadvertently saved the blond’s life.  Bel had been planning to kill himself that night, and to make sure no one found him; he didn’t want to try and get through life without Mammon by his side.

But with the silver-haired teenager’s expression of sympathy, Bel had been distracted from the memories, from the pain, and instead was trying to work out just why _Gokudera_ would be sorry.

_Does…  Does he care…?_

**_~~Fran~~_ **

When Fran had woken up on Tsuna’s lap, the first thing he had wanted to do was apologise to Bel.  He knew it had been an accident, but he really liked Mammon and had just wanted to play with him while he waited for Bel.  He could only hope Bel would understand.

The child took a deep breath and prepared himself for whatever Bel would throw at him before he pushed the door open; he had just killed the blond’s best friend, however unintentional it had been.

“Bel-senpai…?” Fran blinked as his eyes tried to adjust to the darkness of the room.  There was no light except for the small rays the moon provided that shone through the window.  _It’s night…?  How long had I been out?_ The boy could make out Bel sitting out on his bed with his knees drawn to his chest and his arms wrapped around them.  “Bel-senpai…  I…  I’m so sorry…”

“It’s not your fault…”  Bel sounded exhausted, as if he had been crying for hours.  Fran knew him well enough to know that probably was what had happened.  “It was an accident…”

Fran couldn’t believe how easy he was getting off right now; he had been almost sure Bel would kill him for what he had done.  “But… I…”

“You didn’t mean it, Froggy…” Bel whispered.  “…I know you didn’t mean it…”

Tears welled up in Fran’s eyes at these words; he felt as if he deserved more than this – he had taken a life and it just wasn’t fair.  Having lived the way he had, Fran knew all life was to be valued, no matter how small.  He had been raised in a cage for as long as he could remember, and had been treated so cruelly with no love or affection in his life.  He knew what it was like to be nothing to everyone who knew him.  He knew what it was like to be made to feel so insignificant.  He hadn’t known anything more than the fear and pain, and the things he had been used for.  But if it weren’t for Bel, he wouldn’t know what it was like to be wanted, or to be loved and treated fairly.  They were things that felt so great, he wanted to see the world around him as something he could love and value in return.

“M…  M-mammon…”

“Froggy…  Come here…”

Fran obeyed, noticing that all evidence of his carelessness had been removed; one of the workers must have cleaned everything up.  He climbed onto Bel’s lap and curled into the familiar warm chest, welcoming the arms that wrapped around him; he just needed comfort, and he knew Bel did, too.   

“…Bel-senpai…  I really _am_ sorry…”

“I know you are, Froggy…” Bel buried his face in teal hair as he tried to stop the tears that threatened to overwhelm him.  “…I know you are…”

**A/N  Did anyone pick up the similarities between both Bel and his father’s thoughts on animals?  Just in case no one picked up on that, it was a view Bel learnt from him.**


	19. Chapter 19

Ever since Fran had knocked Mammon’s tank from its place, Bel found it even harder to let Fran out of his sight in case something happened to the younger; he couldn’t bear the idea of being all alone again now that he knew his best friend wasn’t waiting in his room for him anymore.

As the months passed by and the eve of Bel’s birthday arrived, the blond played with the idea of leaving the Varia.  It was true he hated it here, unable to get along with anyone but Fran, but would they let him take Fran if he _did_ leave?  He doubted it; they hadn’t liked their relationship in the first place. 

The blond was sure he was going to be kicked out whether or not he wanted to leave; he was unable to believe that the workers could possibly want him to stick around for any longer when they weren’t legally obligated to keep him there the second midnight ticked on the clock – they would instead want to get rid of him as soon as they could, he _knew_ it.    

Bel frowned as he looked down at the boy fast asleep in his lap; the thought of leaving him behind was agonising, and he swore the more he ran his long fingers through teal hair, the more his heart was torn apart.  _They won’t let me take him with me…  They know what I’m like…_

The boys were lazing about on the couch in the living room, having been watching the TV together.  Fran had found a real interest in magic – illusions especially – and had quickly learnt the schedule of all programs relating to it.  Said child had been exhausted from having helped Lussuria bake for the older boy’s birthday and had quickly fallen asleep with his head in Bel’s lap just minutes into the first program.

Bel sighed as he heard Lussuria call out that dinner was ready; he didn’t want to wake Fran but he couldn’t let the boy go hungry.  He shook the younger’s frail body.  “Froggy…  Froggy, it’s time for dinner…”

Fran’s eyes opened just a crack as he moaned, not wanting to move; he wanted to stay there forever with Bel.  “S-senpai…”

Bel shifted his hips slightly as he felt a twitch of interest in his groin.  He forced his mind away from that train of thought as he pulled Fran to his feet and allowed the other to lean heavily against him; he would do anything for his boyfriend.  “Froggy has to eat.”

Fran yawned quietly before he nodded, knowing the blond was right; as much as he would have loved to stay curled up on the couch, it would be nice to get some food into his scrawny body.  He allowed Bel to escort him into the kitchen, and he was only too happy to take his favourite seat next to said teenager.  He looked down at the plate that had been waiting for him, finding a plate of strange-looking food he had never seen before on it. 

The child poked at the string-like bits, not knowing what to make of it; was this some weird form of ramen?  “What is this?”

“It’s called spaghetti, Fran,” Lussuria explained as he made sure everyone had what they needed.  “It’s an Italian dish.”

Fran scrunched his nose up in confusion.  “But… this is Japan…?”

“Yes, hun, but to celebrate Bel’s big day tomorrow, we decided something from our original homeland would be nice.”

Fran blinked.  He remember being told the Varia House had relocated across from Italy years back, but up until now, they had only ever indulged in the Japanese side of culture; why were they making an exception for now?    

“…Did…” Fran frowned as he struggled to find the right words.  He knew what he wanted to ask, but he didn’t know how to phrase it.

The cook, who seemed to sense his charge’s dilemma, clarified.  “Bel was the first kid we took in from when we first started Varia House.  All the other kids we got after Bel had eventually left over the years, but Belphegor has been with us for years.”

 _So Bel was from Italy, too? Come to think of it, I never asked where he was from._ “Oh.” 

Fran wondered why the organisation had changed their country of residence, but he didn’t find it too important to ask; he felt it was better to tackle this strange new food instead.  He poked with his chopstick at the brown sauce-like substance before he twirled a wary strand around his chopstick.  He hesitated to raise it to his mouth, but when he did, he found the taste was unique from that of Japanese food, and he _liked_ it.   

By now, Squalo and Xanxus had taken their seats at the table and were eating their food without complaint.  The other kids were quiet as usual since most of them tended to struggle with their social skills, and it was Lussuria – as always – who initiated the conversations between everyone and kept them flowing.

“Bel, dear, would you like to do anything for your birthday?” Lussuria smiled at the boy, hoping to steer clear of the conversation of Fran; it wouldn’t do at all to cause distress or a commotion so close to a special day for one of the boys he saw as his children. 

Bel shrugged.  “The prince doesn’t care.”

Lussuria sighed inwardly; it had always been that way for Bel, never caring for his birthday – or any celebrations for that matter.  He imagined it had to do with the way he had been raised as he could remember their first birthday with Bel; Lussuria and the other workers had bought Bel everything they thought he might want, but it had all just been received with a cold, mistrustful glare as the boy slunk back into his room without a word.  Even on Christmas the boy had – and still did – stand in the doorway of the living room and watch with a sad expression on his face as everyone else unwrapped all of their gifts, almost as if he had expected to be left out and unwanted.  No matter how hard Lussuria had tried, Bel had never once accepted any gifts. 

“But surely there’s something we could do for you that you’d enjoy, hun.” Lussuria, as always, never gave up in trying to get the blond to open up. 

“The prince just wants to be with his Froggy…”  

Lussuria could hear the sad, longing tone in the younger’s voice, and he knew Bel well enough to know that he was _scared_ of the upcoming celebration – but what he was scared of, he wasn’t sure.  

**_~~That night~~_ **

“Hey, Froggy?”

“Yeah?”

The two were lying in Bel’s bed together, with the teal-haired child’s head on Bel’s chest.  Bel licked his lips in uncertainty before he was able to speak his worry out loud.  “...If...  If I leave Varia, you would come with me, right...?”

“Of course, Bel-senpai.” Fran’s voice was heavy with sleep, but Bel knew the younger meant what he said; he had learnt to trust the younger, after all.

“What if...  What if they wouldn’t let you?  Would you still try and come with me?”

“Of course.  Can we sleep now?  I’m tired...”

Bel nodded.  He ran his hand along Fran’s back as he forced himself to relax; he was stressed, but he needed all the sleep he could get – too many sleepless nights he had had lately.  “Goodnight, Froggy...”

“Goodnight, senpai.”

As Bel closed his eyes and tried to fall into a sleep that just wasn’t coming to him, he couldn’t help but fear what tomorrow would bring. 


	20. Chapter 20

Despite all the presents Bel had been given for his birthday, he had ignored them and made his way back upstairs so that he could be alone; Fran was downstairs with the others, enjoying himself like Bel was unable to, and the blond found it too painful to see how _he_ wasn’t the only one who could make his boyfriend smile and laugh. 

Bel really wasn’t looking forward to today at all; he knew it was only a matter of time before Xanxus and Squalo approached him and kicked him out; he knew they wanted to get rid of him, so why would they wait another day to do so?  He could deal with that, but what really bothered him was that he knew they wouldn’t let him take Fran; they would leave him on the streets all alone, hungry and cold and _lonely_. 

The boy stopped walking so that he could lean against the wall and gather himself; his emotions were getting out of whack again and he was sure he was going to start crying any moment now.  He heard footsteps coming up the stairs, but he didn’t care about that; he was too busy trying to control his breathing lest he burst into tears on the spot. 

“You can get the hell out now.”

Bel flinched at the words.  He lifted his head so find Ryohei was standing a few feet away.  He felt sick, and he was glad for his long bangs; he didn’t want the other to see the tears that were already in his eyes.  He didn’t understand what Ryohei’s problem was; the grey-haired male seemed to have it out for him and him only because he never treated anyone else the way he treated Bel, and the blond just didn’t know what he had done to wrong the other enough to deserve this. “…”

Ryohei closed the distance between them and shoved the smaller male.   “You’re not wanted here.  You only got stuff from us because Xanxus made us buy you things.  We all hate you to the extreme.  We’ll be glad when you’re finally gone.”

“You don’t have to tell me that; I can see it for myself, you asshole.” Bel gritted his teeth as he tried his hardest to keep his temper in check; he honestly didn’t want to fight; he just wanted to go to his room and be left alone with his thoughts.    

“Just go kill yourself,” Ryohei snarled.  He shoved Bel again and sneered when the blond lost his footing and fell.  He held no sympathy when Bel’s elbow made a nasty crunching sound as it collided with the corner of the doorway and he let out a yelp of pain; he just said, “We’d have all been happier without you around.”

Bel was silent as pain shot through his right arm.  He could remember his father telling him those sorts of things almost word for word all those years ago, and he could do nothing to stop the terror that was quickly overwhelming him. 

Ryohei smirked in triumph when he noticed how Bel’s body started quivering.  He leant down and reached out to grab a handful of blond hair so that he could pull the older male’s face close enough to spit in it. 

Bel was barely conscious of pushing himself forward and clenching his hands fists as he started fighting against what, in his mind, he could only perceive as his father.  However, Ryohei was much stronger than what his scrawny body could handle, and it took the younger male next to no effort to pin Bel to the ground with his own muscled body.  He gasped as his eyes widened at the familiar feel of someone’s body on top of his, and panic surged through him. 

“Get off!” The eighteen-year-old screamed at his delusion.  “Get off me!”

Ryohei didn’t heed the screams and instead fought back.  Fists and blood flew everywhere as Ryohei attacked and Bel receded into the deepest depths of his traumatised mind, something he hadn’t done in quite a while; he was losing himself, and it wasn’t going to be easy to snap him back out of it. 

By the time help had rushed upstairs and separated Ryohei from the blond, Bel had already curled up into a bloodied ball and was quivering violently as tears slipped down his pale cheeks.  He whimpered repeatedly, too scared to open his eyes and look around him; he couldn’t bear to see himself back in that bedroom he thought he had finally escaped from.

Fran, who had come upstairs at the commotion, slipped past Tsuna’s side and approached the now-silent Bel.  Tears welled up in his eyes as he noticed the blood that was coating his blond hair red.  He leant down and put his tiny hands on Bel’s shoulder to try and get the other to look at him, but all it caused was a horrified scream that erupted from the older male’s throat.

“Come away, Fran,” Lussuria called out.  “Bel needs to be by himself.”

Fran moved back to Lussuria’s side and, when the cook picked him up and starting walking away, he couldn’t help but notice everyone was leaving Bel where he was. He tugged at the man’s shirt and whispered, “Why is no one helping Bel-senpai…?” 

“Bel will go to his bedroom when he’s ready, hun,” Lussuria explained.  “He doesn’t want anyone to touch him when he’s like this because it scares him.”

 _I don’t think it’s nice of them to leave him alone…_ Fran thought to himself.  _What if he wants someone to sit with him?_

Fran knew he couldn’t leave Bel by himself; it wasn’t fair when the blond was so scared and upset - if _he_ were in that state, he’d want someone with him, too. Lussuria didn’t question why Fran was quiet as they walked into the living room; he was sure the younger was trying to understand what had happened.  He smiled, heartened by how sweet the boy in his arms was. 

“Can you stay down here until Bel comes down by himself?” The man asked as he deposited the teal-haired kid onto the couch.  “Let him be until he comes to you, Fran.  He’s very… _sick_ at the moment, and he won’t be himself.”

“What do you mean?” Fran blinked innocently up at the cook, not understanding what Lussuria meant; how was Bel not himself?  Bel was only scared! 

“Bel doesn’t understand where he is at the moment.  His mind regressed to an earlier time in his life where he was suffering.  But once he comes out of that state, he’s usually hypersensitive to effects of the trauma.  He can be… well, _dangerous_ at these times.  He can’t recognise anyone and because of that, he tries to take his anger and pain out on anyone and everyone.  He needs to be alone so he can calm down in a safe environment – safe for both him and everyone else.

Fran nodded.  He had heard loud and clear what his carer had said about Bel being dangerous, but he didn’t think the blond would hurt him; they _loved_ each other, after all.  Maybe he could go upstairs and help cheer Bel up?   He knew that Lussuria wouldn’t let him go back upstairs if he asked, so he lied to the man.  “I’ll stay down here, Luss…  I understand…”

“Thank you, hun.” Lussuria patted green hair before he left the room. 

Fran waited until Lussuria was gone before he made his way upstairs, careful to avoid any sound so he didn’t catch anyone’s attention.  When he reached the top of the stairs, he noticed Bel had disappeared from the floor and was nowhere to be seen.  He guessed the other had already gone back into the bedroom, so he made his way over to their room and opened the door to stick his head inside.  The bedroom light had been turned off so, he flicked the switch on and stepped inside, shutting the door behind him as he went. 

“Bel-senpai?” Fran tilted his head as he noticed the way Bel was sitting on his bed and staring down at his lap.  It was a little unnerving to see such a blank expression on the other’s face, and he didn’t know what to think. “Are you okay?”

Bel looked up at the boy’s soft voice, but he didn’t speak.  Instead, he got to his feet and moved to Fran’s side so that he could circle around the younger like a lion ready to dive in for the kill. 

“Senpai?” Fran felt uneasy beneath the blond’s gaze; Lussuria was right, and he was now realising he should have listened to the man.  For once, he felt _scared_ of the older male, and he wanted to leave – _now._ “Senpai, I… I’ve got to go…”

Fran turned around and groped for the doorhandle, but Bel was quick to slap his hand away before he could open it.  The child gave a startled whimper as he turned back around to search for the blond’s hidden eyes as if he would find an answer to the other’s behaviour within them.  He didn’t get a chance to question the other; Bel’s hands gripped his shoulders tightly as long, slender fingers dug in hard enough to leave bruises. 

Bel was silent as he dragged Fran to the bed and threw him onto it.  Still he said nothing before he climbed on top of the younger and trapped the smaller body beneath his.  It was only once he had the child quivering in fear beneath him did he hiss in a deadly voice, “What he did to me wasn’t _fair…”_

Fran shivered, wondering if he should shout for help, but he doubted anyone would hear him and something told him that if he tried it, Bel would only hurt him.

“It hurt and he never _stopped…!”_ Bel continued on.  His hand trailed down Fran’s body and rested on the boy’s hips.  “I _hate_ him for it!”

When Fran felt a hand slip beneath his pants, he knew this was wrong; it wasn’t the same as what they used to do together – it was like what _they_ did to him.  He placed his tiny hands upon Bel’s and whispered in the most frightened tone he had used in _years,_ “Please don’t, senpai…  Senpai, please… S-stop...!”

“Everything will be okay,” Bel whispered with a mocking tone.  He traced his finger against Fran’s opening as he felt rage build up inside of him; why did he have to suffer the way he had?  Why couldn’t he have been _loved?_  “He told me that when he first did it to me.  Do _you_ think everything will be okay?”

 _I-I don’t think he even realises who I am…!_ At this realisation, Fran had never felt so scared of Bel as he did right now; if Bel didn’t know who he was, there was no telling what the other would do to him in this state.   “Senpai, it’s me!  F-fran…”

Bel scoffed in disbelief.  “Fran?  Who the fuck is Fran?”  With that said, he forced his finger inside the child and earned a horrified whimper of pain. 

“S-stop!” Fran cried out.  He tried to shove Bel away from him, but he wasn’t strong enough; all it did was get himself crushed beneath the weight of the other. 

“I changed my mind.” Fran knew the older male was toying with him now.  “I don’t want to prepare you.”

Fran watched as Bel unzipped his pants and pulled out his hardened member. He felt frozen in terror, having no idea what to expect.  He let out a sob, it being all he could do right now.  

Bel wasted no time in ripping the child’s pants from his hips and aligning himself with the younger’s entrance.  He smirked, knowing the boy was tense; it would hurt this kid beneath him, just like it hurt _him._ He thrust his hips forward and moaned as he sheathed himself inside the child he had no idea was the one he loved most; all he felt was the tightness around him, and the blood that was spilling aroused him even more – he needed blood, more blood, as much blood as he could get. 

Fran screamed in agony, having never experienced pain like this before; it felt as if his whole body was being split in two.  His tiny hands pushed at Bel but he couldn’t budge the other; all he could do was thrash and writhe and _try_ to get away as the other’s hips rocked violently into him, but all it seemed to do was allow more blood to pool on the mattress around them. 

As Bel thrust as hard and as fast as he could possibly manage into the tiny body beneath him, he raised his own wrist to his mouth.  He bit as hard as he could, trying to draw his own blood as his mind became far too hazy to fight against his trauma. 

Fran screamed and cried beneath the older male, feeling as if he were being torn in half.  He wanted it to stop, but as hard as he screamed, Bel wouldn’t listen.  He couldn’t handle this new pain; it was too much on his fragile body, and all he wanted was for Bel to kill him so that it would stop.

**~~Down the hall~~**

Mukuro and Chrome, who had started going upstairs to their room not long after Fran had wandered up, were the first ones to hear the child’s screams.  They could only imagine what the blond was doing to him in this state; there were several times Bel’s trauma had gotten so bad, they had started calling him ‘Prince the Ripper’ for the things he had done. 

As soon as they arrived at the bedroom, Mukuro kicked the door open.  They didn’t need to ask what was happening; they could see it for themselves.  Chrome put her hand to her mouth in horror while Mukuro charged forward, tackling the blond off the child he had come to see as his little brother.  Fran curled up into a shaking ball as he cried now that he wasn’t being pinned down to the mattress, and his attacker rolled onto the floor, brawling with the blue-haired teenager. 

With the door now open for the whole house to hear, Fran’s screams had been enough to draw everyone back upstairs, but Chrome was the first person to approach Fran and pull him into her arms.  Tears welled up in her eyes as she saw all the blood flowing from the boy’s torn body, but she didn’t know what to do; how was she supposed to help Fran in _this_ state?

Mukuro knew that Bel was too lost to know what was going on, and it was dangerous to leave him unrestrained.  He pinned the blond to the floor, and once Squalo and Xanxus had stepped in, he explained the situation briefly to them.  But before the two adults could grab Bel and keep him contained, the blond knocked Mukuro away and got to his feet, running from the room. 

Squalo tried to chase after his charge but it was no good; Bel was fast and the blond had escaped from the house before he could even get to the stairs.  He pulled his phone from his pocket, knowing he had no other choice but to call Hibari and have him help look for the uncontrollable teenager before anything else happened.

Tsuna was the one who, as carefully as he possibly could, pulled the child from Chrome’s hold and into his arms instead so that he could carry Fran into the bathroom and tend to his wounds.  He grabbed some soft pads from the medical cabinet and, as gently as he could, used it to wipe away the blood.  Fran whimpered and fidgeted, but he allowed Tsuna to try and treat his injury, knowing the brunet was too kind-hearted to try and hurt him.

Once most of the blood had been wiped away, Tsuna held a pad to the injured area as he moved to fill the bathtub with warm water, hoping to soothe the pain for the boy before he called Shamal to make a home visit; he knew Fran – as sheltered as he was – had only been in a hospital enough times to count on one finger, and after such a distressing event, he didn’t want to take the kid there and stress him further where he would be unfamiliar with everything.

 _Poor Fran…_ Tsuna held the victimised child closer to him as he waited for the bathtub to fill and rubbed the sobbing boy’s back soothingly.  _He’s been through so much…  And Bel…  He’s so lost, and now…_

_I sincerely hope they’ll both be okay after this – as much as I doubt it…_

**~~Bel~~**

Bel sobbed into his knees as he sat by the river an hour from the Varia House.  His mind had cleared, and he could remember exactly what he had done.  He had never hated himself more than he did right now, and all he wanted was to kill himself so that he could never hurt Fran again.   

 _I didn’t mean it, Froggy…_ Bel thought, trying to contain his thoughts.  _I-I… I didn’t even know who you were… I just…  I just wanted everything to end…  I’m so sorry…!  I’m so_ fucking _sorry…!  I don’t deserve your love after this…!  I…  I’m… so… sorry…_

Footsteps crunched across the grass as Hibari and Dino approached Bel from behind.  Hibari – by his nature – didn’t attempt to try and understand why the blond had done what he had.  Dino, however, sat silently by the younger male and looked out over the river.

“They’re all worried about you, y’know?” Dino broke the silence after a few minutes.  “Squalo’s still looking for you, even after all these hours you’ve been gone.  Xanxus is searching, too.  Should I tell them where you are or would you rather more time out here?”

Bel shook his head as tears continued to roll down his cheeks.  He hugged his knees tighter as he rocked back and forth.  He needed someone to talk to, and he knew from experience how helpful and kind Dino was; if he could talk to anyone about it, he could talk to Dino.  “…I was so much… like my father…  I played with his head before I…  Before I took his purity away…  I’m a monster…  I don’t deserve him…”

Dino hummed thoughtfully as he wrapped his arm around Hibari when the skylark sat next to him.  “I don’t think that’s exactly true.”

Bel turned to look at Dino in confusion.  “What do you mean?”

“He means the difference between you and him is that your father knew exactly what he was doing, while you didn’t,” Hibari answered for his lover.

“Thank you, Kyouya.” Dino kissed his boyfriend’s lips before turning his attention back to the troubled teen.  “Squalo told me that Fran understands.  He knows he should have listened to Lussuria when he was told to stay away.”

“…He hates me, doesn’t he…?” Bel felt a fresh wave of tears slide down his cheeks.  “…I’m…  I never… meant to hurt him…”

“So this is where you are.”

Three heads turned when an unexpected voice sounded from behind them.  They came face-to-face with a sad-looking Yamamoto who had also joined the search for Bel. 

The dark-haired male took a seat on the other side of Bel before he said, “Tsuna was really distressed when he told me what happened.  He asked if I could help look for you.”

Dino smiled at these words and nudged Bel with his elbow.  “See?  Look at how many people care about you.  You have me and Kyouya, and even Takeshi.  I bet your dad would never have had this many people care about him.  Surely that helps you understand you’re not like him.”

“…” Bel rested his face on his knees as he tried to hold back his sobs; he was in so much pain, both mentally and emotionally, and he was sure he was going to throw up from the stress any minute now. 

Yamamoto, as carefree as always, wrapped his arm around Bel’s shoulders and hugged him tightly.  “I heard about what happened.”

Dino removed his brown jacket and rested it over the boy’s frail body.  “Fran’s going to be okay, if that’s what you’re thinking about, Bel.”

“…He’s going to hate me…” Before the blond had met Fran, he could live with being hated – but over time, the one person he had come to find he couldn’t stand to dislike him was Fran. 

“He doesn’t hate you,” Hibari said. 

“Yeah, Tsuna told me he’s been asking for you,” Yamamoto chipped in.  “Poor little guy doesn’t want to sleep until you come back.”

Bel couldn’t understand this; shouldn’t Fran hate him after what he had done?  Why was he acting as if being raped was insignificant?  He felt sick to his stomach, and he knew it was from all of the emotion clashing inside of him, needing to be let out but instead forced deep down inside his stomach.  “I…”

“I don’t think Fran knows how to hate,” Dino pointed out.  “He just seems so content with his life at the moment.  I think all he wants is some food and somewhere warm to sleep, and he’s happy.”

Bel sighed as he shook his head.  “…It doesn’t matter…  I can’t go back…”

“They all love you at Varia,” Yamamoto said softly.  “They always talk about how far you’re coming along and how proud they are of you.”

“And if you’ve had a bad day, they always seem to mention at the most random of times how worried they are about you.” Dino smiled. 

“They won’t show it, but they care about your wellbeing.” Hibari mumbled, not used to talking so civilly to people he didn’t respect. 

“The kids aren’t like that…” Bel whispered.  “They all hate me.”

“I remember once upon a time,” Dino started, tilting his head back to look up at the sky, “a young Bel who seemed to have a death wish.  That Bel was always cutting his wrists and trying to kill himself, and so many long days did he have to stay in the hospital.  I remember when I was helping Tsuna and Yamamoto out with looking after the kids while Xanxus, Squalo and Lussuria stayed with him at the hospital, all of those kids seemed to fret all day and night about whether or not young Bel would be okay.  They’d always ask if I had heard anymore news, and some of them even cried at the thought of losing their blond friend.”

Bel blinked, having never heard this before; did those kids… _care…?_ But what about… Ryohei always told him to kill himself… 

“But… Sasagawa…”

Dino smiled at this.  “Ryohei was the one who worried most, every single time.  He looks up to you in a lot of ways, but I don’t think he knows how to express this, so he can only let his fear of losing you get in the way of how he really feels.”

“…Have I…” Bel hugged himself as realisation dawned upon him.  “I’ve…  I’ve been blind this whole time…  I’ve really… had _friends…?”_

“They’re a bit rough around the edges when it comes to how they show their feelings, but they’ve always cared about and looked up to you.”

“Why would they look up to someone like me?” Bel honestly couldn’t understand this.  “I’m…  I’m such a sick person…” 

“They look up to you in ways you couldn’t imagine, Bel,” Yamamoto explained.  “After all, you’re their prince, right?”

Bel nodded.  “…I…  I don’t want to go back to the Varia…  Can you tell them I’ve left?”

“You can tell them that yourself,” Hibari said. 

Bel frowned at the thought of going back; just the idea of it gave him extreme anxiety – after what he had done… to face everyone again...  “…I…”

“If you go back just to tell them you want to leave, they won’t stop you,” Dino explained.  “They all knew you’d want to leave as soon as you could, and they’ll let you go because they know it will make you happier.  That’s all they want for you; your happiness.”

“…Okay…”

Dino smiled as he helped Bel to his feet.  “We’ll take Kyouya’s car.”

Yamamoto reached out and ruffled blond hair with his usual grin on his face.  “I hope whatever you do from now makes you happy.  Look after yourself, kid.”

Bel nodded at the dark-haired male before he followed Dino and Hibari to the police cruiser that was parked against the kerb.  He got into the back of it when the door was opened for him, but he didn’t speak; he was being crushed beneath the weight of his thoughts, and he was sure that if he opened his mouth to say anything, he was going to vomit. 

 _I’ll have to say goodbye to Froggy while I’m there…_ Bel’s throat caught in a lump as he tried to swallow his emotions again.  _…I…  After what I’ve done, I understand what Lussuria and Squalo tried to tell us…  I can’t be around him any more…_

_Froggy…  I’m going to miss you…_

**~~Varia~~**

Bel stared down at his feet as the eyes of all the occupants of Varia House – minus Fran and Mukuro who were together in the blue-haired male’s bedroom – fixed on him.  Hibari and Dino were standing behind the blond with the Italian male’s hand on Bel’s shoulder.

“…I’ve decided I want to leave…” Bel said quietly, avoiding all eye contact.  “…I…  I had a talk with Dino and the others…  I realise now I’ve been an important person here, and I… well, I acknowledge that now…  But after what happened with Fran and I…  I think it’s better for us to go our separate ways…  Can you look after him for me…?”

Lussuria, who was sitting on the couch crying into a handkerchief, nodded.  He adored Bel, knowing the blond was special to him, but as the old saying goes, ‘If you love something, set it free’.  Squalo and Tsuna who were standing around the living room, couldn’t help but feel the emptiness in their hearts; after all the time and love they had put into Bel, it was hurting them more than they had anticipated to know that he was going to leave them. 

“We’ll handle your living expenses,”tSqualo muttered quietly.  “We’ll pay for you to sleep in a hotel room somewhere for the night.  There will be a house for you by midday tomorrow.”

Bel nodded.  “…I…  I want to say bye to Froggy…”

No one stopped Bel as he headed to the stairs; they understood the two would need to talk in private, and they weren’t going to intrude upon that.  When he was standing in front of Mukuro’s bedroom door, he was almost too afraid to knock; how could he face his boyfriend after what he had done…?  He had hurt his beautiful Froggy in the most unforgivable way, and now if the younger didn’t hate him, he was about to break the other’s heart by leaving. 

Bel didn’t remember knocking on the door; all he knew was that, after an indiscernible amount of time, the door opened and he was looking into heterochromatic eyes.  Neither he nor Mukuro knew what to say, so the blue-haired male simply stepped away from the door to allow the blond entrance; if Bel was going to do something, Mukuro was there to stop him. 

The blond felt like a ghost as he glided silently over to the bed where Fran was laying with the covers drawn up to his chin.  His emerald eyes watched the newcomer warily, as if he didn’t trust the other to not try and hurt him again.  In the most awkward manner he had ever used, Bel cleared his throat and muttered, “Hey, Froggy…  I, uh…”

However, Fran didn’t seem to need to hear anything from his boyfriend as he said without hesitation, “I forgive you, senpai… I… I should have listened to Lussuria…” 

“…Froggy…” Bel scratched the back of his neck, too scared to reach out and touch the boy in fear of how Fran would react.  “…I…  I won’t be at the Varia anymore…”

“What?” Fran’s eyes filled with tears as he tried to push himself into a sitting position, only to whimper in pain before laying back down.  “I don’t want you to leave, senpai…  I want you to stay here…”

“Froggy, we can’t see each other anymore,” Bel gently explained.  “I hurt you, and no matter what, I should never have lost control like that…  I need to be by myself so I can try and heal from everything I’ve been through…  Do you understand?”

As much as Fran understood those words, he was feeling selfish; he didn’t want the other to leave, and all he could do was whisper, “I don’t want you to go, senpai…  Don’t leave me alone…  Please…”

Bel blinked back the tears that threatened to spill down his cheeks.  He reached out and pushed a lock of hair out of Fran’s eyes before he leant down and placed a kiss on the boy’s forehead.  “I’ll make you a promise.  Okay?”

Fran nodded.  “Okay…”

“…On your eighteenth birthday, I’ll come and visit you and see how you’re doing.  But until then, I need that time to find myself.”

“Okay, senpai…  Can…  Can I have one last kiss before you go…?”

At these words, Bel couldn’t hold back the tears any longer; this was hurting him way too much, and that nauseas feeling returned.  He leant forward to press his lips against pale ones, and when he felt the smaller male kissing back with the same passion he had used for all their time together, he wondered how he’d ever be able to live without Fran – but for the younger’s happiness and wellbeing, he had to try. 

The older male dropped his forehead to rest against Fran’s.  He looked into emerald eyes and whispered, “If there’s ever anyone who makes you as happy as you can be… and can take care of you better than I ever could…  I’ll be happy for you, Froggy…  You don’t have to wait for me… I love you…”

“I love you, too, Bel-senpai…”

Bel stood up and turned to leave, wiping the tears that slid down his cheeks away as he did so.  He nodded at Mukuro in a silent farewell, finding it difficult to keep walking as Fran started crying; all he wanted was to turn back around and hold his boyfriend until all of Fran’s pain and suffering vanished, never to return.  As he closed the bedroom door behind him, Bel heard Mukuro try and console the boy, and his chest clenched in agony; what if Fran were to replace him?  He didn’t know if he could live with that.

 _All I’ve ever wanted was for you to be happy, Froggy… If forgetting about me is what it takes…  I’ll understand…  But I’ll always love you…  Be happy, my Frog…_  


	21. Chapter 21

**So here’s the epilogue.  There will be side-stories here and there for this fic on occasion.**

**Also, on a similar note, I have a poll on my profile.  I’d appreciate it if you guys would take it so I can see what fandoms people want me to work in most.**

**Thank you for all the support regarding this story; it’s been fun.**

As lonely and hard as the past seven years had been, Bel greatly looked forward to tomorrow; finally, after so long, he would get to see Fran again as the younger’s eighteenth birthday was finally rolling around after what had felt like an eternity of waiting.  He had stuck true to his promise and hadn’t seen the other for all those years, so he was also a little scared; what if his boyfriend had found someone else, or didn’t love him anymore?  From what Squalo had kept him updated on, it didn’t sound as if his fears had happened – but still…  He was incredibly lonely, and the possibility was unbearable.

In an effort to keep himself grounded, Bel was curled up in his double bed as he thought about what Fran would look like now that he was much older and should surely have grown out of his childish looks.  The teal-haired male was adorable when he had been so young, but now that the blond was twenty-six and had been through very intense therapy since leaving the orphanage, he was now able to control his sexual thoughts relating to the younger and he found himself trying to imagine how his boyfriend would now look whenever he masturbated to thoughts of Fran.

 _I wonder if he’s grown his hair out._ Bel smiled as he tried to picture teal hair resting on frail shoulders.  _He wanted to grow it a tad longer.  And if he’s put on any weight; he was always so skinny.  …I hope he likes my present…  It’s been so long; I hope he still likes magic._

Bel knew he wasn’t going to get any sleep tonight; he was just too excited for tomorrow.  He resigned himself to the fact that he was going to be awake for quite a while, so he grabbed the TV remote that was sitting beside him and flicked through the channels until he found the one he wanted.  Wanton moans and gasps from the TV filled the air as he unzipped his pants and pulled his soft member out.  His eyes were glued to the screen as he wrapped his hand around himself, pumping slowly until he was fully hard.  He closed his eyes and imagined a scenario where he and his beautiful Fran were making love together.  He pictured Fran sprawled out on the bed, his scrawny body naked and awaiting his gentle, loving touch.  He moved his hand faster as he visualised the teal-haired teenager touching himself in eagerness and bit back a moan as the image went straight to his twitching groin.

“F-fran…” Bel moaned softly as he arched his back ever-so-slightly and rocked his hips into his hand.  He squeezed the base lightly before he lowered his free hand and ran it over his balls so he could cup them in his large palm.  The moans and cries from the program across the room sent shivers down the blond’s spine as he imagined them to be what he and Fran made together, and he felt his stomach tighten as his orgasm neared. 

“Fran…” Bel licked his lips as he tried to remember the feel of the teal-haired child’s lips on his, wanting desperately to be able to kiss him again.  He gave a soft groan as sticky hot liquid spurted out over his hand, the evidence of his climax staining blood-red sheets.  He sighed happily to himself as he pulled his knees to his chest and closed his eyes, not wanting to clean himself up just yet.  He reached blindly for the remote and turned the TV off when he found it.  With a content sigh, he whispered, “I love you, Fran…”

Tired from his earlier activities, the blond slipped into a light sleep he would wake up from within minutes as memories of Fran ran through his mind.

**_~~Varia House, the next morning~~_ **

Fran slept soundlessly in his bed as Lussuria creeped into the room with a large smile on his face.  He leant down by the boy’s side and reached out to shake a frail shoulder gently.  “Fran~ Fran, honey, it’s time to wake up.”

Emerald eyes opened slowly before they blinked a few times as Fran tried to fight the overwhelming drowsiness.  “Lussuria, it’s…” Fran glanced at the clock on his bedside table before he frowned, “…it’s almost lunchtime.  Why didn’t you wake me sooner?”

“It’s your special day, hun.” Lussuria wrapped his arms around the teenager and hugged him tightly.  “And since you’re the only child we have left at the moment, we decided we’d treat you just a tad more special than we usually would.”

 _That’s right…_ Fran thought as he rubbed his eyes.  _I was the youngest, excluding Lambo, and he was adopted by Tsuna’s friend, Haru… It’s just me and the adults…_

“Get dressed and then come down stairs.” Lussuria clapped his hands together in excitement.  “You have to open your presents before Bel comes to pick you up.”

A small smile crossed Fran’s face at Lussuria’s words.  He appreciated the presents, but what he was really looking forward to the most was seeing Bel again; he had missed the older male so much, but he knew the blond needed to be by himself and that it was better for both of them for it to be this way until Bel had made progress in his healing.  Still, that knowledge had never been enough to stop him from waking up during the night crying in loneliness. 

Lussuria hummed happily to himself as he left the room, knowing today would be extra special for the younger; for so long, Fran had waited for the moment he would see his boyfriend again.  _He’s going to be so surprised when he sees what a huge improvement Bel’s made in his recovery.  Even we couldn’t believe it at first._

Fran clicked his tongue as he sorted through his clothing.  He wanted to look good for Bel, but he didn’t want to overdo it; he didn’t see the point in going all out when they were just going to have lunch and then go shopping.  He finally decided on some jeans, a black t-shirt and a blue hoody.  He brushed his hair with a comb for a few moments, only bothering to get the knots out, before he made his way downstairs, eager to open his presents.  He didn’t mind getting only one present from each of the adults; he understood that money was tight for them now that they were supporting Bel financially, too. 

“We didn’t go all-out this year because we couldn’t spare a lot for your presents and there are no other kids for you to enjoy them with anymore,” Lussuria explained as he handed his present to the teenager, “but we’re pretty sure Bel will make up for it with just coming to see you.”

Fran smiled gratefully as he took the present.  He didn’t mind if they hadn’t gotten him lots of things; he was happy to just spend the morning with them. 

**_~~Bel~~_ **

Bel could barely believe how long it had been since he had been at the Varia House, and it all still looked just like it had the night he had left.  He parked his car against the kerb and walked down the footpath to the house.  His hands shook as he turned the knob, and his legs felt like jelly; he was so nervous and yet so excited at the same time; all he wanted was to see Fran again. 

“Fran?” the blond called out as he closed the front door behind him.  He walked through the entrance hall and made his way into the living room, hearing the TV was playing.  When he caught sight of Fran sitting on the couch, his breath caught in his throat; Fran had become even more beautiful than he had imagined; the boy’s hair had certainly grown from all those years ago and it framed his face that didn’t hold the childish look it once did – it looked much more mature now.  And his eyes…  So… _beautiful…_

“Froggy…” Bel breathed out.  He felt as if he were frozen in place, and when Fran turned to look at him, his heart sped up; he swore he had just fallen in love with his boyfriend all over again. 

Fran blinked, almost unable to believe he wasn’t dreaming; after so many years of being unable to cope without Bel by his side…  The man had finally returned for him, just as he promised. 

“Sen…pai…” Fran knew if he were still as young as he had been when he was with Bel, he would have cried right now.  However, after having matured and with the Varia’s help, he had learnt how to control his emotions. 

Bel was the one to close the distance between them.  When he was close enough, he wrapped his arms around the boy and let a few loose tears slide down his cheeks.  “I’ve missed you so much, Froggy… I love you so much.”

Fran’s arms – which Bel noticed were still just as skinny and frail as they had been as a child – returned the embrace.  When he spoke, it was in a quiet tone.  “Have you finally realised you’re not a prince, Bel-senpai?”

“Ushishishi~” Bel tightened his hold on the younger.  “I will always be a prince.”

Fran rested his head on the blond’s shoulder has he let out a happy sigh and relaxed into the hold; Bel was still the same old self-proclaimed prince, and it looked as if the blond hadn’t changed at all. 

“Bel-chan~!”

Bel could hear Lussuria running towards him, and he braced himself for the hug he knew was coming.  He tensed instinctively when strong arms wrapped around him, but after a few seconds, he was able to relax, trusting the cook with his body; though he still had a long way to go, he was slowly overcoming his trauma, and touch wasn’t as terrifying for him as it had once been, even if it still made him greatly uncomfortable. 

“Hello, Luss,” Bel greeted calmly.  “Are the others here?”

“They all left~  It’s just us here.” Lussuria released his former charge and stepped back so that he could admire how handsome Bel had grown in the seven years they had been apart.  The blond’s eyes were still obscured by his bangs, but instead of his hair being perfectly straight as it used to be, it was now a tousled mop of hair that jutted out all over the place. 

Just as Fran had, Bel had also matured into a very good-looking young man. 

“Please, don’t let me get in the way of your date~!” Lussuria giggled as he skipped back towards the entrance of the living room.  “I just wanted to greet my dear Bel-chan~”

Bel flushed slightly at his plans being called a ‘date’.  In truth, that was what he wanted, but he didn’t want to be the one to bring the subject up; he needed to know Fran wanted their relationship back without feeling pressured in the slightest.

“Fake-prince, are we going now?”

Bel didn’t care much for what the younger had called him; he was more concerned as to why everything Fran said seemed to be in a quiet, reserved voice, almost bordering on monotone.  He didn’t want to draw Fran’s attention to this, instead trying to act as if he were offended. He flicked the younger’s nose playfully before he said, “You’re still the same little brat I first met, aren’t you? Back to that stage, are we?”

“Senpai, I’m getting bored waiting.  Is your birthday present to me supposed to be this boring?”

“Ushishishi~ Somehow I feel as if you’re a bigger brat than before.” _But I still love you, Fran.  I’ll always love you._ “Get in the prince’s car; I want to say goodbye to Luss.”

“You’d better not kill me with your driving, senpai.” Fran was already out of the room by the time Bel realised what he had said.

“Oi!” Bel shouted after the younger. “The prince drives just fine!”

Fran smiled to himself as he closed the front door behind him.  _I’ve missed him so much.  It’s been so hard without him, but now that he’s here…  I’m so glad he’s back._

**~~Lunch~~**

Bel had taken Fran to his favourite sushi shop for lunch – will coincidentally was owned and ran by Yamamoto’s family.  It was nice to have a familiar face to talk to, but the dark-haired male had understood it was important to Bel to be alone with his ‘Froggy’ and took his leave after wishing Fran a happy birthday.  As the two sat at a table, enjoying their meals, Fran was the one to bring up the topic of their time apart. 

“Senpai, what have you been doing for all these years?” Fran asked as he poked at his fish, his small tummy already filled.  “Lussuria told me Varia supports you financially because fake-prince can’t get a job, but nothing else.”

“Ushishishi~  It’s not that the prince can’t get a job…” Bel lied; his pride wouldn’t allow him to admit that he couldn’t get work anywhere because of his history, “…but that the prince doesn’t want one.  But the prince has been good.  He’s…” the blond shifted uneasily, finding it difficult to talk about, “…well, I’m slowly getting better…”

Fran reached across the table and rested his hands on Bel’s wrist.  “Squalo told me you don’t cut yourself anymore, and it’s been a long time since you’ve attempted suicide.”

“I didn’t want to leave without saying goodbye to you…” Bel’s whisper was so sincere, Fran understood immediately that Bel had suffered from the separation just as much as he had. 

Fran didn’t reply to this – he didn’t know _how_ to.  Today was going so great and he didn’t want to ruin things by admitting that he himself had discovered suicidal tendencies while Bel had been gone because of how hard it had been for him to live without the other; he had become so reliant on Bel to keep him whole, he had crashed completely without him. 

Instead, the two were silent as Bel ate more of his sushi and Fran turned to look out of the window, deep in thought.  The blond didn’t force him to speak, understanding that after seven years apart, things would be different.  But when Fran spoke again, Bel couldn’t help but notice how sad and lonely the teenager sounded.

“A day wouldn’t go by when I wouldn’t think of you, senpai…” The soft voice sounded thoughtful, as if he were trying to clarify his own thoughts by speaking.  “Lussuria took me to doctors and ‘therapists’ all the time because I couldn’t get out of bed without you…  I wouldn’t eat, and I was even more reluctant to bathe…  It felt as if every single good thing about my life had upped and left with you, senpai…”

Bel dropped his head, understanding that he had hurt the younger – it had hurt him just as much to leave. 

“…The doctors gave me pills that they called antidepressants,” Fran continued on.  “They told me I was depressed.  I didn’t understand what ‘depressed’ was until Mukuro sat with me and explained that Chrome was depressed as well.  Mukuro promised that if I took my pills every day, I’d feel better in a few weeks.” When he turned to look at Bel, he held a small smile.  “I don’t have to take them anymore because the therapists helped me get better – and now that you’re back with me, I’m happier than ever.”

“Froggy…” Bel felt the corners of his lips twitch upwards as he put his chopsticks down and rested his large hand over the ones still holding onto his wrists.  “I…  I’m so happy you’re better…”

The two watched each other for a few seconds as their hearts simultaneously beat faster; neither of them had ever gotten over their love for the other, and they both knew it.  What Bel wanted in that moment was to hold his Froggy and kiss and touch away the pain he had inflicted, to take away everything that had ever been done wrong to the younger.  And Fran… he wanted to tell his senpai how much he was in love with him, and what he would give for their lips to press against each other’s – to make love together and wash away both of their filthiness. 

But of course, neither of them knew how to convey their feelings and a comfortable silence fell between them again. 

Bel finished his meal only a few minutes later.  He stood up and wiped away imaginary dust from his clothing before he spoke to the younger.  “Are you ready to leave, Froggy?”

“I was ready a while ago, but we should leave now before you eat the place out of stock.” Fran fought to keep the smile that threatened to cross his face at bay. 

Bel laughed.  He moved to Fran’s side and wrapped his arms around the teen’s shoulders.  “The prince loves you, Froggy.”

“I love you, too.” 

**_~~Nightfall~~_ **

By the time Bel drove Fran back to Varia for dinner, neither of them were ready to part from the other.  Bel had had dinner with them, and after they all finished, Fran opened his gift from Bel.  It was a do-it-yourself magic kit, and one of the best ones the blond could find, accompanied by an oversized frog hat Fran knew was a gag gift. The younger had been ecstatic and carried them both upstairs to his room to put with his other gifts he had received, and Bel, who remained downstairs with the others, hummed softly to himself as he waited for Fran to join them once more. 

“You can take the kid if you want him now, trash.”

Bel blinked upon hearing these words from Xanxus.  He turned to face the older man, not sure if he should believe those words or not.  “…”

“Voi, just take the brat!” Squalo shouted upon seeing Bel’s hesitance.  “You know you want to!”

Lussuria and Tsuna, who were standing together, spoke as well.

“They’re right, hun,” Lussuria started.  “Fran has missed you very much, and he can leave now if he wants.”

“And you’d both be happiest if he went with you.” Tsuna smiled as he finished his sentence.

It took Bel a mere second to gather the awareness to sprint upstairs in order to hug and kiss Fran and beg the younger to come live with him; he was so excited, hoping that _finally_ the loneliness would go away if he could have his Froggy back with him all the time; all that was left was for the younger to agree. 

Fran, who had just been stepping out of his room by the time Bel came flying around the corner, was quickly knocked back inside by a blond blur.  He found himself engulfed in a tight hug, and he wondered if this was going to be their parting once more; it had only felt like seconds since they had seen each other today, so why did the other have to go again so soon…?  Tears welled up in Fran’s eyes at the thought, but when Bel spoke, he found himself opening and closing his mouth wordlessly in disbelief; Bel couldn’t have… just said what he thought he did…

Bel spoke again, worried his Froggy hadn’t heard him.  “Froggy?  I asked… if you would come live with me…?”

The teen nodded as he crushed his lips against Bel’s. Within seconds, he felt long arms come to wrap around him and hold him close as the blond kissed back eagerly.  Fran opened his mouth to allow the other entrance, and when a hot muscle started probing around his cavern, he moaned.

The two pulled away for air, and Bel raised his hand and ran his thumb gently across the younger’s flushed face.  “Do you still love me…?” He whispered.  His voice was small, almost as if he were afraid of hearing the answer.

“I never stopped loving you…” Fran whispered back.  “I want… to have my first time with you…”

Bel visibly flinched before he spoke in a painful voice.  “I already took that from –“

Two fingers rested against pale lips to silence the blond.  “I don’t want to remember that time, senpai…  I want to make love with you…”

Bel nodded in understanding; there was no reason to bring _that_ time up andall that was needed was to wash away what he had done by showing the younger just how much he could love.  He picked Fran up in his arms and carried him over to the bed he remembered used to belong to him all those years ago.  He briefly wondered if Fran slept in there trying to pretend they were still together, before he pushed the thoughts away and laid the teen down on the mattress. 

“Senpai…” Fran caught Bel’s attention before the older male could do anything.  He blushed and looked away as he whispered, “…I…  I’ve never done this before…  I’m not… sure of what to do, or what to expect…”

Bel pressed his lips against Fran’s in reassurance.  “It’s okay, Froggy; the prince will take good care of you.  Froggy just has to lay there and feel good, okay?”

Fran nodded.  He watched as Bel slipped a hand beneath his shirt, and he remembered the times his boyfriend would pleasure him with his hands all those years ago – Bel himself had never wanted to be pleasured due to being unable to bear being touched because of his trauma and always gave everything to Fran instead.  He wondered if now would feel different compared to when he was younger; whenever he masturbated since Bel’s departure, it didn’t feel the same as it did when they were young.

Bel’s long fingers played with the boy’s nipples, rubbing them to life as he trailed his other hand down the side of Fran’s body in order to rest on the younger’s hip.  Fran could feel his slight erection building as a hand slipped beneath the hem of his pants and the tip of Bel’s thumb rubbed against his slit. 

“Senpai…” Fran moaned breathlessly as he closed his eyes and shifted so that he was more comfortable on the bed.  He sighed happily as hands caressed his body and he felt sensations he had tried to recreate in his mind for so long – to finally be able to feel the real thing after all this time... 

Bel slid the teen’s pants down low enough to reveal the growing shaft.  In truth, he was nervous about giving Fran oral sex after everything he had been through, but this was his _Froggy_ – there was nothing to fear about Froggy.  He took a deep breath and opened his mouth as he lowered it around the shaft, going as low as his trauma would allow him to.  He wrapped his hand around what he couldn’t take in and held himself still so that he could adjust to the feeling that had once been the thing his nightmares were made of.   

Fran’s breathing hitched; he had never received a blowjob from anyone before, and it felt so _different…_ “Bel…senpai…”

Bel kept his hands on Fran’s waist and held the smaller male down in case the boy bucked upwards; he wasn’t yet ready to allow the younger to set the pace as he needed to be able to do what he was comfortable with until he was able to learn to associate this act with Fran instead of his father. 

Fran whined softly as he felt a tongue run up the base of his hardened self, and he felt his stomach coiling in what he knew was his release.  His face was red and there was a layer of sweat on his skin as his head rolled side-to-side; the pleasure was just too much for him, and he could barely contain it in his small body.  “Senpai… Senpai, it’s…”

Bel understood what the boy was trying to tell him, and he eased off the hard shaft.  He licked his lips as he leant down for another kiss that the younger only too happy to give him one.  He ran his hand affectionately through teal hair as he leant his face forward and nuzzled against the younger’s throat.  “Are you close? Call out when you’re cumming for me, Froggy.  The prince wants to hear you call it.”

The blond pulled Fran’s red shirt from the younger’s body to reveal that same scrawny figure he had known when they were both still young.  He licked his lips as he removed the other’s pants, too, but before he could do anything else, he felt his soon-to-be lover’s hands tugging at his shirt.  He tensed and pulled away with a frown on his face. 

“Aren’t you going to get undressed as well, senpai?” Fran questioned.  He cocked his head to the side when Bel just stood there and made no move to take off his own clothing – then again, he should have expected it; even as kids, Bel had hated for Fran to touch his bare skin and never allowed him in the room when he would be changing his clothing.

Bel shook his head.  H voice was soft as he whispered, “I don’t like my body…”

The teen understood Bel’s hesitance; the other had been like that as a teenager, the scars that marred his flesh from head to toe having caused serious self-esteem issues for the blond.  He didn’t reply, knowing there were no words needed, and instead watched as the man started to suck on his fingers.  Fran didn’t want to admit it, but the erotic scene almost caused an orgasm right there for him.

“I’m going to prepare you now, Froggy,” Bel explained as he lowered his hand to the younger’s rectum.  “Tell the prince if it hurts and he’ll stop.”

Fran nodded.  He inhaled in an effort to keep himself calm; he was nervous – scared, almost.  He remembered how much it had hurt when Bel had forced himself in, but he knew his soon-to-be lover wouldn’t hurt him like that anymore; the older male had gotten better, just like he had promised.  He needed to trust in Bel to make it good for him.

Bel noticed Fran accepted the last two fingers without protest, despite the look of discomfort on the younger’s face.  He didn’t want to hurt Fran, so he pulled his hand away and whispered, “This may hurt at first, so the prince needs Froggy to relax as best he can.  The prince will try his best to make it good for Froggy.”

Fran nodded.  He could feel the hot tip of Bel’s penis pushing slowly inside of him, and it scared him; he could recall that night on Bel’s birthday, and all of a sudden, he felt like that helpless little child being pinned down and violated all over again.  He clawed at the bed sheets beneath him and whimpered.

“Does it hurt?” Bel asked.    

Fran shook his head as he fought to keep tears of fear away.  “I…  I-I’m scared…”

“Don’t be scared,” Bel soothed.  He leant forward to kiss Fran as gently as he could in an effort to help the other relax.  “The prince doesn’t want to hurt you; he’s doing all he can to make it good for Froggy, but Froggy needs to relax first.”

The blond started to push back inside of his boyfriend, and when he felt the other only tense further, he lowered his hand and wrapped it around Fran’s wavering erection.  He leant forward to kiss the smaller male again, hoping he was succeeding in taking the teen’s mind off the pain with his hand.  As slow as he could manage, he sheathed himself inside the eighteen-year-old and waited for his Froggy to adjust before he started moving.

“Is it better now?” Bel asked.  He continued pumping slowly along the smaller shaft to bring it back to full hardness and smiled when Fran nodded.  He started the pace with slow, gentle thrusts so as to not overwhelm the smaller male, but after so long of being alone, even this was quickly bringing him to his peak.

Fran moaned and gripped the sheets beneath him tightly as pain shot through his body.  He knew Bel wasn’t trying to hurt him, and he hoped that however he was supposed to feel would replace the pain soon; he was still nervous, but he wanted to trust his boyfriend.

The blond angled his thrusts as he searched for the spot that would make his smaller lover scream in pleasure.  He couldn’t find it for a few moments at first but, once he hit the last spot he had yet to check, Fran’s back arched off the bed as a whimper of pleasure filled the air.

“Does it feel good, Froggy?” Bel asked as he hit the same spot once again to see if it elicited the same reaction. 

“Y-yes…”

Bel smiled as he aimed for that spot over and over again, trying to make it as good for Fran as it was for him – just like Fran, it was also Bel’s first time in a consenting position as he hadn’t wanted anyone but his beautiful Froggy. 

Fran whimpered and cried out as he writhed beneath Bel’s body as he felt the coil in his stomach burst and orgasm overwhelmed him.  Creamy white fluid sprayed over Bel’s striped shirt, but the man didn’t complain; he was too busy releasing himself into the body beneath him as the constrictions around his hardened member was too much for him to handle.

The two laid panting heavily together as their highs slowly faded.  Bel rolled off the smaller body beneath him and laid to the side, pulling Fran into his arms.  The younger curled into the warm body beside him and rested his head beneath Bel’s chin as the man groped for the blankets to cover them. 

“The prince definitely won’t let you go now,” Bel whispered.  He planted a kiss on top of his lover’s head before he snuggled in as close as he possibly could and closed his eyes.

“I won’t complain, Bel-senpai…” Fran whispered back.  He closed  his eyes as he battled his exhaustion, not wanting to sleep yet; he still had just one thing he had to ask Bel.  “I’ll only move in with you on one condition, senpai…”

“What’s that?” Bel’s hold tightened warily for a second before relaxing, knowing Fran too well to know that the other wasn’t going to hurt him. 

“…I want a puppy…” Fran was on the verge of sleep, barely coherent to understand Bel’s reply.

 _A… a dog…?_ Bel wanted to say no, but seeing the way Fran struggled to stay awake after having just lost his virginity…  How could he say no to such loyalty?  “Ushishishi~  Only if you buy me a frog.”

Fran nodded weakly, the only thing he could do as he fell into oblivion.

 _If he wants a puppy, he can have one,_ Bel thought to himself.  _The prince would do anything for him – that’s what a prince does for the one he loves most, after all._


End file.
